Fledgling
Written by Christina E Lupin
A/N: Thank you to all of those who reviewed the first chapter of Fledgling and for those who wanted this to be continued. I was thinking of making it a longer fic but I wanted to see who would like it to be more than just a one-shot. Anyway, I think you all will enjoy this story as much as My Child or Blood Brothers. With this story, I really sat down and thought about how I wanted to do phoenixes. So, without further ado, I present the second chapter of Fledgling!
Fledgling
Chapter Two: Awareness
Fawkes once again found himself in a familiar Muggle town of Surrey. A joyful trill slipped out from his beak and he descended from the thermal he caught to get here. Sure, phoenixes could flash to any location they wished, but Fawkes was a little more old-fashioned. He loved the adventure and the beauty.
He spotted Privet Drive almost immediately and could even see Number Four clearly. Inside Number Four was a special boy, a boy that had a special connection to the phoenix. This boy was named Harry James Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, the destroyer of Lord Voldemort. The entire wizarding world worshipped Harry for ending Voldemort's reign of terror when he was just one years old. Fawkes never saw Harry that way. No, the phoenix loved the boy. He would give his life for the last Potter.
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"Boy! Go weed the garden. We better not see your hide until it is finished!"
"Yes Uncle," Harry Potter said, his beautiful green eyes staring down at his feet.
Vernon Dursley let out a noise Harry could not identify but the little boy used that time to rush out the back door and into the large garden out back. The seven-year-old let out a groan at the sight of the massive amount of weeds in Aunt Petunia's flower garden. He swore that she let it go just so he could maintain it. Harry knew that she told her friends that she had done the garden by herself, when it was him that had done it.
I wish someone would come take me away from all of this, he thought to himself, glancing up at the scorching ball of fire known as the sun hanging in the blue sky. Anyone. The boy knelt down in the yellowing grass and began to pick through the flowers to pull out the weeds one by one.
He wished that he was like any other normal boy, with parents to dote upon him and to praise him for his good grades. But anytime that he brought any grade higher than his cousin Dudley, which was pretty much all of their classes, he would be locked in his cupboard and accused of being cheating off of Dudley. When teacher conferences came up, each teacher would constantly praise Harry and put down his cousin. Also, the playground teacher would tell Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia of all the confrontations Dudley had with Harry and how each one had ended Harry up in the nurse's office with several bruises. The couple would brush it off as they were playing around. Then that night, Vernon would rough Harry up a little, never raising a hand to any visible body parts.
A lonely tear slipped from his eyes and slid down his cheek.
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Fawkes let out a squawk when he felt Harry's emotions take a sudden turn. He instantly vanished from where he flew up high over the neighborhood and appeared right in front of the boy, ready to defend him if needed. The phoenix's confusion spiked when he saw no immediate danger. He locked eyes with Harry and he felt the familiar connection of their magic, allowing them to communicate.
Is something wrong? Fawkes asked, unable to smother his protective urges.
You came, Harry answered, his green eyes lighting up a little. Please, Fawkes, could you take me away from here? I don't like it here. I'm treated as though I am a speck of dirt on a clean, white floor. Please?
The phoenix stared at the boy with a sad look in his eyes. I wished I could, fledgling, but you know I cannot interfere. You are to stay with your family, where you are safest.
But I am not safe here. Fawkes, I watch how families interact with each other and I am not considered family here. Where I should be getting praise, I get a beating. Harry pulled off his shirt to reveal his black-and-blue skin and jutting rib bones. Don't you see? I will be much better off at an orphanage than here. At least I wouldn't get hurt.
Fawkes felt his anger spike to dangerous levels. How dare the Dursleys even raise a hand to the precious child? Didn't they care for him at all? The phoenix took a step toward the boy and told him to lay on his back. He could feel the boy's curiosity but he obeyed and soon Harry was on his back, with Fawkes standing over him. Fawkes lowered his head and let a couple tears drip onto the boy's thin and damaged chest. He watched as the bruises faded but nothing could be done with the boy's malnutrition.
He raised his black eyes to look down at Harry, determination raging in those depths. Let me see what I can do, fledgling. There may be a way to get you out of here and still keep you protected. For now, though, stay here until I contact you again.
Harry nodded and Fawkes felt a surge of pride for his young fledgling. He briefly nuzzled the boy's face and he willed himself to vanish from Number Four. The young boy watched and after Fawkes was gone, he picked up a beautiful black-striped red feather that lay on his chest.
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A/N: Short, but do not fear. The next chapter will be longer and we will see more from Fawkes and perhaps from several other characters. Now, I better start finishing the next chapter for My Child before my fans go crazy with waiting.