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Miles away, a boy of sixteen named Harry Potter laid in his bead, his mind roving to and fro in the restless anxiety of sleepless night.
Ex- Professor Remus Lupin's Office:
They filed into the dim office, above said, Headmaster, Ron, Hermione, Harry, Celia, and the detailed phantom boy.
"Now I am sure you all have questions, but may I advise they be short and well-chosen as I have less then a safe 20 minutes in this form." The translucent being said loftily.
"Er...well" Harry waited for a nod from Dumbledore to start. "Mr..."
"I was Daemon to you before and I am still Daemon, no matter what the form." A faint smile checked his face.
"Daemon—what exactly... what are you?" Potter tried to be as tactical as possible.
"A very broad question Harry, my apologies if anything I say is disrespectful. I do try to observe proper behavior, but being away from civilization as long as I have and having Blair as a teacher isn't exactly benefiting." Daemon began, natural rhythm in his speech. "In best words, I am a spirit of a fifteen-year old boy, locked into a phoenix body. How I came to this state is a long and harrowing tale that I do not have the time to tell even if I wanted to, which I don't."
"Then are you a phoenix or a human?" Hermione asked, academically interested.
He cocked his head in a very bird-like way and thought for a moment with his vivid blue eyes shut. "I was born a human, but this body is rubbing off on me and I have undoubtedly gained many beast-like mannerisms."
Celia stayed slightly in the shadow, but even so the observant Daemon noticed her blush.
"Oh, don't worry Harry or Celia. When I entered your bedrooms I was far more phoenix then boy."
This only slightly comforted the girl.
"Why didn't you ever tell us you were human if you are a friend?" Ron asked, warily.
It was then he gave a laugh, a light tune reminiscing of a merry phoenix song with great poetic beauty.
"What? Poof into your bedrooms one night as a teenager's soul. If I was lucky you would scream and run. If not you would probably get out your funny little sticks and blow something at me." He replied.
"These are wands, don't you know that?" Harry demanded.
"I am no wizard, and I have never heard you call them that before. All my knowledge of your world is gathered from what I observe and the phoenix Faux tells me." The red-head stated.
"How, may I ask, was it that you came to preserve your soul into the mythical creatures body without the use of very powerful magic? It would take as much to do so." Dumbledore finally spoke, his face partly hidden in the shadow.
The phoenix ghost angled his head the other way. "Blair doesn't like you at all, and I am still deciding. But you were brave against the guardian so I see no danger in answering your question." He spoke half to himself. "I myself am no wizard, but that does not mean I do not know others of your kind."
"Do you mean Professor Kryeen—" Hermione blurted, but suddenly Daemon held his hand up.
"My time runs short and I dare not challenge it, until we talk again."
The transparent flesh shortened and the arms spread longer with the nose. His legs shortened and toes sharpened as red plumage broke out over the body. It shaded in as the transformation receded, nose coloring gold with short legs and toes. Then their was the small phoenix, only the icy eyes remaining.
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"We'll have to report it to the Order. Daemon could be helpful if he is willing, and if you trust him." Remus added with a glance to Dumbledore.
"I, of all people, trust him Remus. But perhaps it should not be me who you ask." The wizened headmaster replied while cleaning his nails.
"I trust him, he had loads of times to kill me before." Harry stated firmly.
"Yes, and that was very unwise of you Harry." Albus looked straight at him and the boy-who-lived felt pierced by his cerulean gaze.
"Of all the protections Hogwarts, I, and the Order give you; we cannot protect you from yourself. So I ask that in respect of others, that you please show more caution. It would be a terrible loss to all of us Harry, if anything were to happen to you. Remember that."
Hot shame crept over the last of the Potter's.
" Well, I think it is time we all go to bed. I have a suspicion that the creature will neither bother us in daylight or appear after its warning tonight. Miss Granger, Mr Weasley, Mr Potter kindly return to Gryffindor with Remus. Miss Magnetine, I shall escort you back to Slytherin."
The night had long past, and he still felt ill. Harry Potter, the brave and noble boy-who-lived. Harry Potter, the naïve boy who demands attention and likes to play hero, the price of which was his godfather's life. Harry Potter, the teenage heartthrob and tragedy, average student and great Seeker. Harry Potter, the foolish boy who knows nothing of waging a war, as that is what he must do.
The letter still lie on his desk, the ink already fading. Still, its words were seared into his mind.
Harry,
This is a small up-to-date on all of us. We have found a snake, great isn't it! Two jokers have joined us and we are all having a jolly time, they turned out to be creative engineers. A dear friend you must meet next time we are in town has told us that some of Grawp's family are with those horrible things you fear, and seem to like the snake we found! A few friends you know are coming to visit your house with a box of fudge and promise to deal with your angry two-year old. Some of our unpleasant neighbors have begun to walk over and visit the snake we found. We are trying to tell them to go back to their yards, but they won't listen. So we called that dear chap Moony from your house and he'll talk some sense into them. Don't worry, lots of others will be visiting you to keep away the loneliness! Tell us if you want to see anyone in particular, but don't use that silly white bird of yours—she bites too much! Give all your letters to the Cat—she'll know what to do with them.
Sincerest greetings,
Your dear uncle and aunt.
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Anyone who had ever met Petunia and Vernon would know very well that this letter was not from them, but any Death Eater or nosy official to find it would see nothing wrong with it. A bit odd, from eccentric relatives and give it no more thought. Yet, to Harry it meant a great deal. His head still spun. Giants and Death Eaters had already chosen Voldemort's side and the werewolves at the very least were considering it along with something else. And what did the Order have? A sixteen-year old boy born with a prophesy.
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Days went by with the-boy-who lived's mind in this self-hating frame. Though nothing came of it for months, these thoughts would cause a change in the very core of all things magical.
His days began with Hagrid and the Chatdemer in Care of Magical Creatures. If nothing else, Harry's crude sketching became better and he got some sleep as the fear wore off of the vain little creature. From there he moved to Potions, which he had no clue as to how he passed into Snape's class and neither did Snape apparently, as he clearly stated each day. He was sure to fail this year. Ron and Hermione tried to coax him to talk, but Harry felt no wish to join them, but rather to fall into himself and solve this dilemma which had no real answer. Ginny, in fact was the person who got him to speak.
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Harry James Potter sat outside on one of fall's last warm days. The great lake glistened with the dull autumn sun and the giant squid splashed water at a group of seventh years who dared to chuck rocks at it. The sky had the dreary, warm gray coloring of the season and a chilly wind swept by. He leaned against a tall elm tree long shed its leaves. Cushioning him was a small mound of leaves, colored brooding crimson, eccentric orange, enjoyable yellow, and mourning browns. Harry leaned back, half-shut his eyes as thoughts hounded him. Moody had left a week ago to this day. Now he had no Occlumency teacher on top of everything. Dumbledore had offered, but for the first time Harry refused his beloved Headmaster. Lupin would at least understand his feelings, Albus would only pity him or worse, be ashamed of his despair. Dumbledore had never given up hope,never been weak like he was. A soft rustle of leaves disrupted his thoughts and the scarred celebrity opened one eye fully.
A girl was sitting beside him, her flaming hair dancing in the frost-bitten wind and pale cheeks slapped by it. Her tawny eyes were accented by the colors around her, and for the first time Harry Potter saw Ginny Weasley as beautiful.
"Hi," He managed to utter.
She gave him a soft smile. "Hi Harry. I am sorry to bother you,but I was hoping I could sit with you for a while."
He blinked his jade eyes in surprise at the formal question. "Sure, any reason why?"
Ginny gave a fun little laugh. "Well... to tell you the truth I am hiding from Neville. He seems quite taken to me, and—well if it was anyone else I would just laugh and tell them to get a life, but Neville... he means well--"
The raven-haired teen couldn't help it. He laughed. "I'm sorry, I was imagining Ron's face if you and Neville ever went out."
The amber-eyed girl laughed with him, and soon they were both in fits making comments about her brother's face.
"He would get all red in the ears like he always does!"
"Oh, and his eyes would slant—he thinks he looks so cool when he does it but it makes him look like he needs glasses..."
"Yeah, and that vein in his neck would pulse and make him look like a dying turtle--"
"Haha! And his lips they turn in that bizarre form..."
Finally their screams of amusement died down.
"I did—didn't think anyone else would find him that funny. I thought I was the only one who noticed those things." Ginny panted.
"Ron's my best mate and all, but that doesn't mean he doesn't do the stupidest things sometimes. I'm sure we all do stuff like that." Harry replied.
"I—I don't think my lips could--" She chocked between giggles. "Twist—that way--" Another bout of laughter.
"Oh, and Draco, whenever he gets angry he hold his head high and it makes his nose look sooooo long!" The youngest Weasley continued.
"Introducing Malfoy, the living Pinocchio. Say something witty around him and his nose grows!" Harry announced.
"That can't be hard." She replied wickedly.
Suddenly a figure appeared on the fading lawn that disrupted their fun. Neville Longbottom can out, tripping over his own two feet as he scrambled around for Ginerva.
"Drat! Hide me please—I don't want to be mean to him!" The red-head begged quickly.
"Lay on the ground." He instructed, burying her with leaves and then standing casually against the tree just as Neville came bumbling by.
"Harry," He gasped. "Have you seen Ginny. I have to ask her something."
The-boy-who-lived felt guilty as he shook his head. "No, Neville—Sorry."
"It's—It's fine." He breathed, jogging around the bend again.
"Is he gone?" Ginny's easy-going voice came out after a moment.
"You can't avoid him forever you know." Harry reminded her, extending a hand to help her up. His stomach suddenly flipped as he grasped her slender hand. Of course, he had gotten that sensation sense his fifth year.
"Yeah, maybe I'll get a boyfriend...I could ask Dean, he's always been nice to me..." She muttered thoughtfully.
No! A forbidden voice in Harry's mind growled. Outside, he simply shrugged. "Well I had better get going."
"Wait!" Ginny stopped him suddenly. "You never told me what you were doing out here."
Trying to figure out how to defeat the most powerful dark wizard to ever live. He thought bitterly, giving a forced smile. "Just, trying to get some time to think."
The only sister Weasley gave him a searching look with her mysterious brown orbs. Then she nodded, and Harry knew without a doubt that she had understood him.
"Well I hope everything works out. We should chat more often Harry." Her words suddenly came out fast.
The boy nodded with a genuine smile this time. "Yeah we should. See you around Gin."
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Of course, he reminded himself for the tenth time that day. He had hidden his feelings for the youngest Weasely quite well, but they began to surface again. Still, no matter what he felt, nothing could come of it. He could NOT go-out, not at least until Voldemort is dead or... Voldemort is dead. He reprimanded himself quickly. She was his best friend's sister anyways. And he-who-must-not-be-named would use her, just like Sirius. No, he would only cause Ginerva Weasley pain, even... death. No, there was certainly no time for dating.
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A/N: What did you think of Daemon? And for those who thought Harry was going to hook up with Celia... well we'll see about her.