A quick note:

Umm… yeah could you guys review? I just need to know if you like the story and stuff. I would appreciate it if you didn't totally trash my fic. It's my first one that I am actually posting so if you could be a little nice please. Thanks!

Harry deposited his numerous bags and boxes on his bed. He paused and took a look around. In a few short days he had taken control of his life. He felt great. Like, finally he could actually do this. He could succeed. He could kill Voldemort. As the savior of the wizarding world mulled over his increasingly dark thoughts a flash of light and a trill of beautiful song filled his ears, interrupting his thoughts. Harry jumped up and spun around while pulling his wand out, all in a fluid much practiced movement. As he turned fully and began scanning the room he noticed a rather large scarlet bird atop his desk.

"Hello Fawkes," Harry sighed, "Come to fetch me on Dumbledore's orders?"

The great bird shook his head in what was an unmistakable no and flew to perch on Harry's shoulder, like an oversized owl. As soon as both sets of talons gripped Harry's shoulder a soft golden hued glow encompassed them both. It faded slowly back into nonexistence.

"What the hell was that?" Harry asked angrily while glaring at the phoenix. He patted everything down to make sure he was okay.

'That was a servant finally coming back to his master,' a strong but melodious voice echoed in Harry's head.

"Fawkes? What is going on here? Why the fuck are you in my head" the irate teenager shouted.

'It is the way we communicate master,' Fawkes answered.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, still angry, but not necessarily at Fawkes just at his lack of comprehension at the situation, "Please Fawkes. Explain to me what is happening here because I'm so confused."

'Master your family has been around for a very long time,' Fawkes began, 'Master, it would be much simpler to just show you what I mean to tell you a story I will have to repeat over and over again. May I share my memories and some others with you?'

"That's fine Fawkes," Harry agreed, eager to understand…to have one mystery solved.

'Very well, master,' Fawkes said. And then his story began.

'A very long time ago there was a man who went by the name of Godric Gryffindor. You know of him. You reside in the house that is his namesake during the school year. But, no matter. Our story begins when Godric was but a young man. As of yet with no official school to teach at. But, once again I digress. Now… Godric was a wandering type of man. He never stayed in one place very long. He traveled all over looking for special people. People he believed to possess a similar gift that he himself was graced with. Magic.'

' He traveled far. Any of those he encountered with this gift he taught them all he could to control it and to hide it. For there were many who feared these kind of people and they offered no mercy be it man, woman, or even child.' Fawkes intoned as he sent Harry image after image of a tall, noble looking man with shoulder length black hair atop a large grey horse and a long broadsword at his side. Despite his noble features he was dressed quite ruggedly and as if he hadn't washed in a few days at the least. He at last turned his head and Harry saw his eyes. They flashed a startling pure gold.

'As he was traveling one day he came across what appeared to be an entire village attempting to burn a woman alive. The young woman looked very badly beaten and as if she might have been unconscious. Godric immediately spurred his horse into a gallop and took off her way. As soon as he was close though a giant, powerful wind knocked him back. A man came stepping out from behind the fire, put out the fire with his powerful wind and a snap of his fingers. Another snap freed the girl who fell right into Godric's arms, who had rushed forward to help this man in any way he could. As he lowered her to the ground the man came hurrying over to them and bent down next to her,' at this Fawkes paused and sent Harry an image of blonde man with dark brown eyes. He was tall and yet bulky and he seemed somewhat familiar.

'After Godric healed her, he wrapped her tightly in his cloak and heaved her onto his horse and proceeded to climb up behind her.'

"Sir? I thank you very much for saving her. I would like to ask you to join me in my travels. Is there a certain direction in which you would like to head in?" Godric asked the silver haired man.

"I will follow you, Sir," the man replied.

"Very well. If your ready," and with that Godric set off the way he had been going before.

'A short time later they were making camp and Godric was too curious to keep quiet any longer,' Fawkes narrated.

"Well then good sir. What name do you call yourself?" Godric asked his companion cheerfully.

"I go by Salazzar," the man replied with a small smile, "And you sir? By what name do you call yourself?"

"Godric. Godric Gryffindor," Godric replied.

"Good now that is settled why don't you try and find some food. I will check on our ward over there," Salazzar suggested.

"That sounds like a good plan. I will be back soon," Godric answered and started to trek into the woods.

'As Godric made his way through the woods he focused his jumbled thoughts on the girl wrapped in his spare cloak. HE saw that she was a beauty even through all her bruises and cuts. Maybe he could convince her to continue to- his thoughts were halted by a heart-wrenching trill of pain. Godric hurried towards the painful song.'

'He soon came upon a clearing. There was a beautiful bird lying on the ground. It was golden in color with scarlet lining his wings. He had an arrow stuck in its breast. Godric hurried over and knelt before the bird.'

"Oh my. Who would do something to this beautiful bird?" Godric asked aloud while he moved to heal the bird. The bird grabbed his hand in his talons and a faint glow sparked between the connected hand and talon.

'Human. I am dying. Do not heal me,' the bird echoed in his head.

"Is there nothing I can do noble and great bird?" Godric asked.

'Yes. Have you a bottle?' the bird asked. Godric quickly conjured one from mid air.

"Yes I have one," he answered.

'Quickly put it by my head,' the bird told him.

'Godric obeyed and he watched amazed as tears flowed from the bird into the bottle until it was full.'

'These tears will heal anything except death. If you take a feather from my tail it will transport you to the safest place there is along with anything or anyone your touching,' the bird told him.

"Why?" Godric asked.

'Godric Gryffindor you are kind and helpful. You have always helped others. Also something you might not have known is that the stars have foretold your coming. You are a special person who will change the way this world that is full of magic. However your future isn't full of happiness. Fulfillment yes but not happiness. I was trying to see that you finally got some happiness but some thoughtless hunters shot me. So I am going to give you the greatest a firebird can give a human man. My egg. When it hatches my child will be yours and your kin's for all eternity. It is there in that tree. Now hurry my child. Go, for you are needed elsewhere this night. Like in that clearing with that young girl. Oh one more piece of advice my son… she is not as young as she appears. Do not let it stand in the way,' the phoenix uttered his last word and his last breath left him. He was dead.

'Godric knelt next to the firebird soaking up what he had heard. However his thoughts were once again cut short as the bird began to burn and flame. Soon all it was a pile of ashes.

000000000000000000000000000000

'Godric finally climbed to his feet and proceeded to the tree the phoenix had indicated earlier. In it there was indeed an egg; it was large and gold in coloring. Cradling it softly between his hands he slowly made his way back to camp…'

"Did the game elude you brave heart?" a teasing Salazzar asked.

"Not exactly friend," Godric then proceeded to explain what had happened in the clearing with the phoenix.

"Well then. We should probably watch this egg very closely and until it hatches keep it warm. Wrap it in your blanket," Salazzar suggested.

'As Godric nodded and began to wrap the egg tightly and securely in his blanket the girl they had rescued let forth a moan. The men went quickly to her side.'

"Where am I?" she asked, "Who are you?"

"My name is Godric Gryffindor and this man is Salazzar. We are in a wood not to far from the village where I assume you lived," Godric explained, "Are you hurt anywhere else?"

"No. Thank you kind sirs for your assistance but I must be own my way," the girl said and surprisingly enough she was able to stand. She looked pale and as if she had been through a great battle. Her clothes and body looked like they had seen much better days.

"My lady you are in no way able to travel! Your injuries were severe and a lady of your stature should not travel alone. Please allow us to travel with you. We can be your guard. We have two horses you should not be made to walk," Godric pressed. He grabbed her in an effort to stop her from leaving and the girl froze.

"Sir. I will only warn you once- release me," the girl said in a deadly soft voice.

"Ha. And what pray tell are you going to do if he doesn't listen? I have seen this man in action. He can do things you wouldn't even dream of. You are no match for him…little girl," Salazzar quipped. He was watching her with a knowing glint in his eye. He was up to something.

'With that Salazzar turned to Godric and raised his eyebrows. Godric just looked at him nonplussed.'

'As Salazzar turned back towards the girl there was a bright flash of light. The next thing the two men knew they were in the air being held around the ankles by something invisible. The girl looked at them and smiled a smile that told everyone there she was quite proud of herself. She started to again walk away when she heard a chuckle behind her. She slowly turned around and met with a very surprising sight. '

'Both men were sitting around the fire as if nothing had happened at all.'

"How did you get down? No one has ever managed to get down unless I said they could," she asked her question filled with genuine puzzlement.

"My dear you could not have possibly have thought you were the only one that was gifted could you?" Salazzar asked.

"Prove it," the girl commanded.

'Salazzar turned to Godric and snapped his fingers. Godric's clothes changed from his rugged riding clothes to a beautiful robe of midnight blue and silver trim. He heard the girl gasp from behind him but he didn't stop. He instead nodded to Godric who waved his arm and the fire started to grow until it turned into a curvaceous fire-woman who danced a slow hypnotizing dance.'

"Enough," the girl commanded and everything returned too normal.

"My name is Helga Hufflepuff. My family is the royal family around here. My father was a kind and just ruler to the people. Always fair and never cruel is the creed he lived by. Now there came to be a time, I believe I was around eleven, when strange things would happen around me. Vegetables would turn to sweets and strange cats and animals found their ways into the castle; how you ask? Nobody knew. Except for me. I knew, because I was the one doing it. Soon however my nurse discovered my secret and told my mother. Who just laughed and was merry. She was proud of me. Of anything I could do. I was her pride and joy. My father was proud but also nervous. Many in this realm were superstitious. However, it was too late for that. My nurse had spread the news. Everyone knew what was going on with me and they were scared. They called me witch and many other names. But it didn't matter- I grew up sheltered in my father's castle. I trained and learned to control my gifts. But my happiness was not to last. Shortly before my eighteenth birthday my mother passed. My father didn't live long without her. Maybe seven months. At his funeral the other day the people of the town surrounding my castle rebelled and came to arrest me. I never believed I was any kind of danger so I was just going to talk to them at my trial the next day. However during the night somebody snuck up on me and knocked me out cold. The rest you know…" she trailed off as her story ended.

"My lady? You are welcome to join us on our travels as long as needed. But some more… appropriate clothing may be in order," Salazzar said and with a snap of his fingers her ripped and bloodied garments turned into a beautiful riding dress of the palest blue with a white sash around the waist and tall black riding boots. As the boots encircled her feet she felt warm for the first time in days.

"Now for a steed," Godric said to himself.

"Allow me," Helga smiled and raised her fingers to her lips and whistled. After a few minutes a pounding of hooves could be heard. A magnificent white horse trotted into the camp.

"Well my dear we are certainly going to travel in style. She is yours, yes?" Godric asked.

"She is really a he. And yes he is mine. We were meant for each other at birth weren't we boy?" Helga asked her horse, "He goes by Echo."

"Very well. Now lets enjoy this fire and decide where we are heading," Salazzar suggested.

"Well I don't know about you but I am right now just traveling, trying to teach the ones who don't know what this gift of theirs is or how to use, trying to teach them to control it and hide it form the normal ones," Godric put forth, "I think we should go to the next town and search for any that want to learn and then carry on,"

"That is an excellent idea. I wanted to teach for a s long as I remember," Helga said excitedly.

"I agree. However I think we should have a permanent place to teach. Not just travel form place to place," Salazzar put in.

"That is for a later time Salazzar. We will discuss that tomorrow. Let's get some sleep we have a ride tomorrow," Godric said and lay down and went to sleep by the fire. Soon the others followed without a word.

'What do you think Harry?' Fawkes asked.

"I think I need to get Hermione in here and let her know what's going on and then let her view everything as well. However, for now I will ask if you could possibly finish the story later?" Harry asked the phoenix.

'As you wish Harry,' Fawkes said,

With that Harry went to find Hermione. He found her in her miniature library. He quickly told her what had happened. Hermione listened and then decided that Fawkes could be a real asset to the team. But then she set down her book and walked towards the door.

"What is going on Hermione? We need to get everything lined out and-"

"No Harry. We are going to take a break and go swimming. Now. We can plan everything tomorrow morning and get everything lined out like lesson plans and buy everything tomorrow. You need a break before you get neck deep in studies. Now go get into those blue trunks we bought. Hurry now," and with that last order Hermione turned into her room to change. Harry thought he best do as he was told and went to change.

Harry was done a lot sooner than Hermione and went out to the pool. He jumped in and began doing laps. Fawkes had perched on one of the trees that gave a shadow to the south end of the pool.

"Harry? Are you out here?" a sweetly feminine voice called.

"I'm in the pool, 'Mione!" Harry called back. He turned in the direction of the voice to see a beautiful goddess in a white bikini making her way towards him. It took him a minute to realize he was staring and he forced his mouth to close.

"Hermione! You look gorgeous in that suit. Not that you didn't look gorgeous before but now… I'm just mucking up the compliment aren't I?" Harry asked.

"I think it's cute when you stumble over your words," Hermione said as she effortlessly glided through the water to his waiting form, "You know something Harry? You look pretty hot in that bathing suit too. It shows off your sexy abs."

Harry gulped as he felt a hand slide down his chest. His last coherent thought as Hermione's mouth got closer and closer was that her teeth were really straight. (lol. I just had to put that in. I mean come on he was the one that noticed when she let Poppy shrink them a little extra. Jeez people…lol. Ok I'm crazy I know. You don't have to rub it in my face.)