CHAPTER 2 – Phoenix Rising

The water was scolding where it pounded her skin, biting and burning in a deliciously torturous prickling. Thea was cold. So, so achingly cold after her argument with Ominis. It ran deep, the numbness spreading like a pestilence from the cells on the surface of her skin all the way through to the marrow of her bones. She felt shadowed, damned by the burden of her legacy in a way that made her feel utterly vile.

She was a liar. There was no denying it. That was her role in her family. A whore of the worst kind. But not the ones who traded sex. The kind that traded their very souls, betraying every ounce of themselves at the behest of others. She'd done it before as a child. And now, it seemed, she'd done it again.

After the death of her parents she'd sworn to never find herself in at the mercy of others again. But she realised now that somewhere along the way she'd lost herself and become exactly who they'd always sought to make her. An object to be manipulated at the behest of men.

Bile rose in the back of Thea's throat and the young woman bent forward to retch over the drain. She would not allow herself to cry. That would have been too easy. The thought repulsed her as much as sherepulsed herself.

Embrace the darkness.

The familiar phrase seemed to reverberate around the tiled cubicle.

Never, her stubborn mind protested, bitterness stinging in her eyes. She straightened against the beat of the downpour once more. It had taken the young woman a long time to claw herself out of the depths despair after the day she became an orphan. It had taken a huge amount of strength and mental fortitude. She remembered the day she had walked away from her former life with as much clarity as if it had been yesterday, a promise of repentance branded upon her lips. She could be that again. She would be that again.

Imelda's words echoed through her mind once more.

"You shouldn't let a man tell you how to act or who you are."

Thea took a steeling breath, feeling blindly through the darkness for the courage and determination she so desperately craved.

Ominis only ever seen her as a Harrington.

But he had never her as Thea.

oOOOo

The first few days of classes had been entirely enjoyable for Thea. She could feel it in her steps as she bounced around the castle with enthusiasm. Professor Ronan had introduced her to the game of Summoner's Court and it had surprised her to learn that she had a knack for it. Afterwards she met the enigmatic Professor Hecat who had taught her a new spell and had her dual with Sebastian, no less. Thea couldn't help her delighted expression when she'd knocked him flat on his arse in front of the whole class. Though she hadn't been entirely surprised. Once, duelling had been somewhat of a past time for the young blonde. Taught to her by her uncle as a means to regain her confidence following the death of her parents, Thea had once battled it out with the best of them. She had to admit that, as skilled as he was, the fight had hardly been fair. Though to his credit, Sebastian had seemed to relish the competition.

Much to her relief, she'd effectively managed to avoid any further interactions with Ominis after their disagreement in the common room. Instead, she'd spent the majority of her time with either Sebastian or Imelda, both more than happy to indulge her with their company.

And now she found herself in the presence of the former after he was tasked to accompany her on her way to Hogsmede. Thea was very grateful for the tall boy's companionship. His open nature and friendly banter lightened her heart in ways she hadn't felt in a long time. She felt unburdened and carefree in his presence. Like the obligations of her past were exactly that, nothing more than a distant dream. Here, at Hogwarts, the young witch finally felt like she could find herself once more.

With that thought at the forefront, she closed her eyes for a moment as they walked, basking in the warmth of the sun and the gentle touch of the breeze where they kissed her skin. Beside her, she heard Sebastian smirk. It had been a long time since he too had felt an airiness to his own heart and the clever boy had to admit it was a welcome relief from the burden he'd been carrying lately.

Thea had been an interesting injection into their little rabble of Slytherins. She had brought a level of enthusiasm towards learning new things that was almost chaotic in the way she dove in headfirst without due consideration. It was as if she trusted the conviction of her own abilities so blindly that she never paused or hesitated before tackling anything new. She reminded Sebastian of his sister that way. Anne was never one to shy away from a challenge either.

But this girl was in so many ways different to her too. After learning of her heritage he'd expected her to be aloof, haughty even, in the way that Ominis was. But Thea had shown herself to be quite the contradiction. She was warm, friendly, loquacious and confident. And when she looked at someone, it was like she really saw them, saw the person beneath their words. Sebastian had to admit that it had been a long while since he'd felt truly understood. His friends all busied themselves with the dreary concerns of teenagedom. Things like who was had kissed who in the empty classroom on the fifth floor, which of the quidditch players were the hottest or their latest assignment for potions/arithmancy/transfiguration. When Sebastian really thought about it, it was all just so tedious. He had much bigger burdens to bear. Like dead parents, curses and wrathful uncles.

Truth be told Sebastian hadn't felt much of connection with someone apart from Ominis since before Anne had been cursed. But there was something different about Thea. He saw something in her that he suspected others didn't; a heaviness carefully masqueraded behind the radiance of her smile. That's not to say that her warmth wasn't genuine. Just that she carried with her a stark contrast hidden within; a darkness to contradict the light. Sebastian couldn't explain it but he felt a kinship with her. A feeling that maybe he needn't shy away from his own darkness when she had seen the depth of her own.

As he watched her fling her head back in the warmth of the summer sun, Sebastian was suddenly struck by how lovely she really was. Not that he hadn't noticed before, of course. But here with her now, her long rivulet of hair swaying gently behind her, shining with flecks of gold, her skin stretched flawlessly smooth over the angles of her cheekbones. He had to admit she was beautiful. The other boys in their year level had noticed too, of course, many of whom had already tried to charm the young witch. But Thea had rebuffed them all with expert grace. It made Sebastian beam with pride to know that of everyone, she chose to spend her time with him.

They were just rounding another bend when Thea's head snapped in the direction of an old path. Sebastian slowed to a halt, eyeing her reaction carefully, thinking it was odd. If he didn't know better, the brunette boy would have said it was almost like she was drawn by some ominous calling. Thea couldn't tear her eyes from the thickened blanket of trees. So dark and foreboding, it was hard to see beyond the outliers. But she didn't have to to see what lurked beyond to know what was there.

She already knew.

"The forbidden forest," Sebastian said slowly after a moment, his brown eyes still fixed on the plains of her face. "Out of bounds to all students."

"Hence the name," the blonde witch replied with sardonic amusement.

"Precisely," he continued, mirroring her own expression of gentle teasing. "They think its too dangerous. I think they need to have more confidence in our defensive abilities."

Thea turned away from him again, watching with interest as a pair of hippogriffs emerged from the trees. "Have you ever been in there?" she asked softly and Sebastian could hear the forbearance in her voice, taut like a rubber band. But there was a hint of something else in Thea's tone too, a melancholy of sorts.

"A handful of times," he answered. While he couldn't explain it, Thea's marked interest in the forbidden region had set his teeth on edge. He drew her away with a hand on the small of her back, gently guiding her in the direction of their original destination. Her gaze lingered for a moment as they walked, before finally tearing away with a reluctance the way a plaster might when ripped from skin.

"Anything you'd like to share with the class?" She smirked, that easy confidence returning to her demeanour once more. She fixed the brunette with a knowing grin, mirth sparkling in the rich green hues of her eyes.

"Perhaps one day," he redirected smoothly, shaking off the disquiet. "Can't go round spilling all my secrets, now can I? You still haven't told me how you became so good at duelling."

Thea felt her jaw clench tightly, all manner of humour scattering from her expression like a jumble of Berty Botts every flavoured beans spilling on the floor. A warning flashed through her vision, bright green and hideous, and she could not help the shudder that rippled down her spine. That was a secret she wasn't prepared to tell either. Nor, she surmised, was Sebastian ready to hear it. It was both shameful and appalling. A stain upon her history that she had yet to repay.

They continued on, largely in silence. Sebastian had briefly mentioned his sister. And her illness. But gone was the easy exchange of friendly banter. Thea no longer seemed as joyful as she had when they'd set out. Sebastian couldn't for the life of him figure out what he had said wrong but it upset the proud boy nonetheless. He'd tried to lighten the gloom that had settled between them with a few flirtatious jokes but Thea had only looked at him in half-hearted amusement. To him she seemed to be lost, buried beneath some burden in her own mind.

Finally arriving in the centre of the most fairy tale like town Thea had ever laid eyes upon, they had separated. Hogsmede truly was wondrous, she had to admit, and she felt her spirits soar once more, memories of a life once lived disintegrating to dust beneath the awe. Beautiful architecture, a charming atmosphere and a magic that seemed to permeate every aspect of the town. Thea had never seen anything like it before. She practically skipped along the cobblestone streets, darting from merchant to merchant with the wonder of a kid in a toy store. She would have dearly loved the time to explore properly, to sift through all the nooks and crannies of the quirky little shops. But she had items to retrieve and a handsome boy waiting for her in the town centre.

Thea found him waiting for her reclining against a old wrought iron fence, the sun shinning upon his freckled face. As she approached him from behind she was struck suddenly by guilt for her earlier sullenness. Sebastian's curiosity over her offensive abilities was to be expected and entirely natural. She did have an affinity for duelling and, when she wasn't kidding herself, a skill set that was unusual in people of their age. It had been wrong of her to behave as she had. Especially given the way her melancholy had so obviously affected Sebastian too. Given that she didn't yet have many friends at Hogwarts, the very last thing she wanted to do was put strain on their relationship.

She approached Sebastian with careful steps, chastising herself once again for her own weakness. "Hey," she began softly, touching his arm to alert him to her presence. He turned suddenly, surprised. "I officially have all of my supplies. Did you get what you needed for your sister?"

"I did," Sebastian replied nonchalantly and Thea could almost taste the hesitance in his voice.

"Sebastian, wait," she said softly, her shoulders drooping in repentance. "I need to apologise for earlier. You didn't do or say anything remiss. I just forgot myself for a moment and I am really sorry. I – I am truly grateful for your friendship."

The hesitance upon Sebastian's features vanished immediately, giving rise the most glorious grin. Mischief sparkled in his warm, brown eyes as he snared Thea's elbow, ever the happy, playful flirt once more. "So I suppose the world is our oyster now. Let's see what else we can get up to."

He twirled, swinging the blonde witch around in a wide arc of unbridled enthusiasm. Thea couldn't help the giggle that had escaped her lips with the joy of the movement. It felt good so good to be carefree and in such good company. Around and around they whirled, the architecture blurring as it whipped by, the sounds of the town square drowned out by the infectiousness of their laughter. Dizzying, Sebastian stopped with a suddenness that caused Thea's body to collide with his own. He caught her in an awkward stumble, tangles of her long blonde hair whipping by the side of his face as Thea's hand automatically landed upon Sebastian's chest to brace herself. They held one another for a moment, both completely breathless and feeling like two children high on sweets. They were so close that Thea could feel the soft caress of Sebastian's breath on her lips. She could feel his heart bounding against her fingertips where they laid upon his chest. Sebastian smelled sweet and homey, like sandalwood and vanilla mixed with old parchment and toasted marshmallows. The moment was intimate in a way that Thea had never experienced with another before but neither did she mind.

But it was punctuated by a thundering crash and the shattering of stone nearby. Alarmed, Sebastian's hold around Thea's waist tightened only for a moment before he was protectively pushing her behind him. With a deafening roar, a troll lumbered into the square his eyes immediately locking on to the two Slytherin students. A cry of shock fell from the brunette boy's lips. Stumbling backwards and taking Thea with him, he drew his wand, his mind darting furiously over all the defensive spells he knew.

Flashes of light, red and purple, burst through the air, striking the dimwitted beast in the flank and drawing his attention. The troll stumbled momentarily, before rumbling after the adults who'd targeted him with stomping fury.

But the tension in Sebastian's posture had only a moment to ease before the building beside them erupted, showering the two teenagers in a cloud of dust and debris. Momentarily blinded, Thea darted away, coughing as she cleared the haze with a quick flick of her wand. But as her vision cleared she could only freeze in horror, a gasp of surprise falling from between her lips. She could feel the moment all the colour slid from her face as tangibly as being caught in a sudden downpour of sleet. It was the exact same moment sheer speechlessness had her breaths coming out in panted bursts.

There, towering over the blonde girl stood a second monstrous troll. It's beady eyes honed in on Thea, as if it fixated on her alone. It's lumpy, green mouth twisted into a malicious snarl. Jaw flapping open, streamers of spittle falling from it's mouth, it raised the club in it's hand before charging in her direction with a nameless cry.

"Thea, run!" Sebastian shouted from across the courtyard. But it was too late for that.

The troll barrelled down on her with the wrath of a thousand dragons and she had no choice but to strength her stance and raise her wand in defence. The hapless beast's weapon collided with the ball of her protego like two bludgers smacking into one another at full force . The power of their combined forces, equal and opposite, seemed to reverberate thickly in the air, sending dust flying in all directions as if from a sudden tornado of wind. The troll was stunned momentarily. Capitalising on his distraction, Thea spun quickly, crouching to cast a well aimed stupefy in his direction. He stumbled and she darted away on graceful feet to join Sebastian.

Together they hurled spell after spell at the dull beast, forcing him further and further back. The whirl of their wands was like a well choreographed dance, both synchronised and complimentary. And for one glorious moment the pair thought they might have had him beaten.

But it was not to be.

In a final burst of fury, the troll bowed his head before charging near-blindly in their direction. They were powerless to do anything but roll out of the way, the move separating the pair of students from one another. Only where Thea somersaulted skilfully out of the way, Sebastian had haphazardly darted only to stumble on a shard of fallen timber and crash heavily into a pile of barrels. Wood splintered all around the fallen boy, tearing his skin in several places just as the troll barrelled shoulder first into the building beside. For one horrifying moment the very brickwork seemed to shudder with the force of the impact. But it held and the beast stumbled back with a shake of it's grotesque head.

Thea couldn't explain what came over her in that moment. Time itself had seemed to freeze in some sort of torturous hell. Spying the boy shrouded in ruined shards of timber the troll narrowed it's gaze, honing in on him with a raise of it's enormous club. Sebastian's jaw fell in horror and he raised his arm in futile defence, his wand lost, buried somewhere in amongst the rubble.

Thea's own mouth dropped open, the scream of anguish that bubbled in her throat laying silent upon her lips. And before she knew what she was doing she was raising her wand, a blue glow emanating from the tip. A fear unlike anything else speared straight through the blonde girl's heart, pointed and dripping in blind terror. For a moment Thea had quite literally thought she had been stabbed from the way her heart had stilled, now dangling uselessly in her chest tethered only by a few bloodless strands. But something grew in that moment of absolute stillness. A power, unparalleled by anything else, imploded in the centre of her chest, concentrating and intensifying with the uncontrolled chaos of a bolt of lightning. It crackled along her limbs, tingling in every nerve ending, raising the hair on her skin like static electricity. A blue liquid enveloped her wand, swirling around the air. She drew back her wand hand, capturing the ball of ink in the grasp of her other before hurling unthinkingly it in the direction of the lumbering beast. It struck him dead between the shoulder blade before engulfing his body in a purple haze for the briefest moment. And then he was gone, his body imploding in on itself to leave behind only a hazy mist and a few scraps of fabric fluttering gently in the breeze.

Just as suddenly her heart stuttered to life once more, sprinting waywardly beneath her ribs like a drunken race horse. A cold dread slid down the length of Thea's body, settling into the pit of her stomach. She could feel the strain of her own shallow breaths as she stumbled towards Sebastian, the reality of what she had just done finally sliding into place with blinding clarity.

What the fuck?!

Only once had she wielded such magic. Only once had she used her abilities, so tempestuous and unique, against another. And that had culminated in the worst moment of her life. She couldn't begin to fathom how this would hurt her later.

Thea couldn't speak when she hauled Sebastian to his feet, as apparently, neither could he. Fortunately they were spared the inevitable awkward exchange by the arrival of Officer Singer who expressed her surprise that two students had defeated such a formidable creature all by themselves. Somehow Thea had stuttered her way through that confrontation with about as much grace as flightless jobberknoll before they were finally released.

She turned to Sebastian, her lip finding its way between her teeth as she reluctantly met his stare, terrified of the accusation she might find there. But Sebastian's expression was unreadable. He eyed her carefully, his dark brown eyes normally so expressive, were impassive where they bore into her own.

Finally he blinked, seeming to recover from whatever thoughts had plagued him a moment ago. Shifting his stance he smiled slightly at her, perhaps not quite as naturally as he had before, but a gesture of warmth nonetheless. "I'd say we've earned a butterbeer or two. Might help me forget I was nearly pulverised by a troll," he said with a teasing quirk of his eyebrow.

Thea could only agree mutedly, her mind still firmly snared in the tenuous threads of their friendship. While mercifully Sebastian didn't seem outwardly afraid of her, he had yet to say anything to the contrary either. This thought alone had the sweat beading on her forehead as her teeth dug an unrelenting path through the skin of her lip.

They didn't make it very far before a familiar top hat strolled nonchalantly into view. Ignoring the discomfort that had settled between them Sebastian and Thea exchanged a wary glance. Quickly they hid behind a building to watch the ominous exchange between the two shady characters. The pair spoke in hushed whispers of the troll attack, intended only as a distraction to capture a child. Thea felt the blood drain from her face as she listened, a cold dread settling into place instead. She now knew without a doubt that it was her they were after, just as she now realised that it was because of her that Sebastian had nearly been killed. The guilt was unbearable and she stepped back, shying away from the unpalatable conversation. Inadvertently she collided with Sebastian who had been crouched behind her in the shadows. Stumbling, Thea felt his strong hands grip her waist, whether in comfort or to steady her she wasn't sure. "Please," she begged, unable to hide the panic that filtered through her voice. "It's me they're after. Can we go?"

The hands on her hips tightened momentarily before she was roughly pushed down an adjacent cobblestone alley. Thea's thoughts were a jumbled mess of shock and dread, so much so, that she could barely see beyond the harried steps of her own feet. She could feel the anxious stare of the boy her beside upon her face her but she had no platitudes for herself, let alone another. "Ranrok is working with Rookwood," she said softly, mostly to herself.

"The goblin from the Daily Prophet," Sebastian said, snaring Thea's arm distractedly as the familiarity of the goblin finally dawned on him. She turned to face him, blinking rapidly as if she only just realising she wasn't alone. Finally torn from her own thoughts she looked upon him with her own anxiety firmly set in her eyes. Sebastian's face was tense.

Ominous footsteps resounded behind them, the two teenagers both swivelling with a frightened gasp. With a sharp tug upon the hem of her sleeve, Sebastian pulled her away. "Quickly," he murmured quickly, dragging her with him. "Into the Three Broomsticks."

They burst through the doors with an urgency that seemed in complete contradiction to the tranquil calm of the pub. Slowing his steps and rubbing a hand through his hair, Sebastian attempted to slow the sprinting of his heart as they settled upon the stools at the bar. The tension emanating from the witch beside him was palpable. The woman at the bar was gracious in her greetings of the new girl, as always, offering them each a free drink as thanks for their recent contributions to the town.

"Heard about the attack. Glad to see you two escaped injury," Sirona said, laying her hands upon the scratched wooden surface and fixing them both with a piercing stare.

"Thanks to this one!" Sebastian said, raising his beer to Thea. "Single-handedly took down a troll!" The amazement was evident in his voice and for one, glorious moment, Thea wondered if perhaps revealing her powers to him hadn't been a mistake after all. Sirona, in turn, expressed her own gratitude, her voice laced thickly with an unmissable knowing that had Thea shifting uncomfortably.

But their conversation was swiftly and efficiently cut short when the door burst open to reveal none other than Victor Rookwood himself and one of his companions. Instantly, all manner of friendliness drained from Sirona's demeanour, her expression becoming as hard as the stone walls of her establishment. She strolled around the bench, confronting the new arrivals with a less that civil tongue. Unwittingly Thea's grip tightened around her glass, her knuckles turning white in repulsion just as the hair on her neck stood on end. Resolutely, she kept her gaze trained on the face of the boy before her, hardly daring to breath lest her body betray her with the trembling threatening to break out along her frame. Sebastian expression was just a tight where he eyed her carefully, resisting the urge to take her hand in his own, afraid that even that small movement might draw unwanted attention.

The conversation between the barkeep and the ruffians filtered easily through the now silent bar, dark and menacing behind their thinly veiled platitudes. The brute beside Victor made to draw his wand, insulted by something the brave barkeep had said.

"Come now," Victor said in what Thea supposed was meant to be a diplomatic tone. "No need for theatrics. I'm only here for this one anyway." She tensed, feeling the point of his finger from across the room as if it had been thrust into her very spine.

With shaky steps she stood to face the pair, feeling Sebastian do the same beside her, both taking on a defensive stance. "My friend is enjoying a well earned butterbeer," Sirona refuted, staring the pair down.

"Only want a quick word," Victor replied offhandedly, making to move around the witch in his way. Without a moment's hesitation Sirona stepped in front once more.

"Perhaps you didn't hear me," she challenged and Thea could hear the scraping of a dozen other stools as others patrons joined their stance. Beside her, Sebastian drew his wand, the others following suit. "I said my friend is busy."

"No!" Thea implored softly, pushing Sebastian's wand down and fixing him with a wide eyed stare. "I won't see anyone hurt on my account." He looked at her incredulously, as if wondering whether she'd momentarily lost her senses. But she had not the time to placate him for the rashness of her actions. Instead she stepped carefully forward, moving to stand beside Sirona.

"What is it you want from me?" Thea glared at the sneering faces before her, straightening her spine with what was meant to be bravado while resolutely ignoring the urge to shiver. Her heart was bounding in her chest wildly, the hum of her blood rushing almost audibly though her veins.

Victor's lip curled upwards in an appraising grimace, the hairs of his moustache twitching with the movement. Dark eyes roved the length of Thea's body, their depths filled with a thirst that made the young woman feel resolutely ill. The man's feet shifted casually when finally he replied. "Seems we have a mutual friend who would dearly like to meet you."

He made to reach for Thea but Sirona pushed her back, one hand thrust in front of her body like a protective barricade. Victor's gaze shifted warily between the group, eyeing each in turn as if testing their determination.

"One would have thought you'd had enough bloodshed for one day. Come, Theophillis," he said in frustration, pulling the shorter man with him. "Can't drink butterbeer forever," he hissed with a final flourish and Thea jerked, feeling the threat imbue beneath her skin, piercing with warning.

Sirona followed their steps, ensuring they were gone before she turned back to the pair of students. "Seems you've made an unfortunate enemy," she said. "Watch your back. Rookward and Harlow are worse than any troll you might meet." Sirona clapped a hand down upon Thea's shoulder as she passed, in a gesture that was no doubt meant to be sympathetic. But Thea only felt cold, like all the joy had suddenly been sucked from the room.

Sebastian turned to her, his expression filled with anguish. "Trolls, Ranrok and Rookwood? What are you not telling me?"

Thea's teeth tugged once more at her lip, her gaze anxiously flitting around the room. "I promise to tell you everything," she said hastily. "But perhaps it's best I do that later."

They left shortly after. Sebastian led her to the floo flames near the village square. Thea baulked when she saw the telltale flickers of green flames. Suddenly she was very nauseous. While there was no doubt that this was the quickest and the safest way back to the castle given the price upon her head, it was most definitely her least preferred. Sebastian's gaze roved over her face, his own expression softening when he noted her apprehension. Carefully he took her hand, cradling it in his own as if it were a precious stone. Thea clenched her eyes shut tightly as Sebastian spoke their destination to the floo flames witch. But even the shield of her eyelids was unable to block the vile flash of acid green when it finally engulfed them.