The Phoenix Lament

"C'mere, Arthur…."

"No."

"You can' stay here, Arthur… come on, now…."

"No."

He didn't want to leave Dumbledore's side. He just didn't want to move anywhere.

But then another voice said "Please, Arthur. Come on."

A much smaller and warmer hand enclosed around his and pulled him up on his feet.

He obeyed without really thinking. It was when he walked blindly back through the crowd that he realised that it was Mike who led him back into the castle with his purple eyes looking back at him. Eyes that were welling up.

Incomprehensible voices battered him, sobs, shouts and wails shattered the night, but Arthur and Mike continued on, walking the steps into the Entrance Hall: faces swarmed on the edge of Arthur's vision, peering at him, whispering, wondering and Gryffindor rubies glistened on the floor like blood as they walked to the marble staircase.

"We're going to the hospital wing." Mike informed him.

"Why?" Arthur asked.

"Mum's orders." Mike replied. "Everyone else is up there, David, Chrys, Mary, Lupin, everyone -"

Fear now stirred in Arthur's chest again, remembering the figures on the floor.

"Who else died?"

"No on."

"But Draco said he stepped over a body -"

"That was Rob, but he's alive."

Mike's voice, however, told Arthur that something happened.

"Are you sure?"

"I am." Mike nodded. "Greyback attacked him. Madam Pomfrey says he won't be the same anymore. Tonight wasn't a full moon, so we don't know what effects Greyback gave Rob."

"The others… there were other bodies on the ground."

"Neville's in the hospital wing." Mike said. "But Madam Pomfrey says he'll make a full recovery. And Professor Flitwick was knocked out, but he'll be fine, just shaky. He insisted on looking after the Ravenclaws. And a Death Eater is dead, he was hit with the Killing Curse that the blonde troll fired off everywhere. If we didn't have Felix Felicis, we all could've been killed, but everything missed us."

They finally reached the hospital wing.

Pushing the doors open, Arthur saw Neville lying, apparently asleep, in a bed near the door.

David, Chrys, Mary, Luna, Tonks and Lupin all gathered around another bed near the far end of the ward.

With the sound of the doors opening, they all looked up. Chrys ran to Arthur and hugged him tightly. Lupin moved forward, looking anxious.

"Are you alright, Arthur?"

"Yeah… and Rob?"

No one answered. Arthur looked over Chrys' shoulder and saw a truly barely recognisable face lying on Rob's pillow. It was so badly slashed and ripped that he looked grotesque. Madam Pomfrey was dabbing his wounds with a harsh smelling ointment.

"Can't they be fixed with a charm?" He asked the matron.

"No charm will work on these." She said. "I've tried everything I know, but there is no cure for werewolf bites."

"But he wasn't bit at the full moon." David said, gazing at his brother's face with a grim expression. "Greyback wasn't transformed. He won't be a real -?"

He looked over to Lupin.

"No, I don't think that Rob will be a true werewolf, but that does not mean that there won't be some contamination. Those are cursed wounds. They are unlikely to heal fully, and - and Rob might have some wolfish characteristics from now on."

"Dumbledore should know something that would work, right?" David then asked as Chrys parted from Arthur. "Where is he?

"He's dead." Mike said gravely.

"No!" Lupin yelled, looking wildly from Mike to Arthur, like he hoped the latter would contradict him, but when he didn't, Lupin collapsed onto a chair beside Rob's bed, his hands over his face.

Arthur never saw him lose control of his emotions before. Feeling like he was invading something personal, he looked away and caught everyone else's eyes, seeing their shocked and horrified expressions.

"How did he die?" Tonks whispered. "How did it happen?"

"Snape killed him. I saw it happen in front of me." Arthur said. We had just arrived back on the Astronomy Tower because the Mark was right above it. Dumbledore was weak, but he must've realised it was a trap when we heard footsteps running up the stars. He immobilised me under the Cloak, so I couldn't do anything. Draco then came through and Disarmed him -"

Chrys and Mary clapped their hands over their mouths, David closed his eyes tightly and Luna's mouth trembled.

" - more Death Eaters then showed up. Then Snape. And he used the Killing Curse."

Arthur bowed his head, not bearing to continue on.

Madam Pomfrey burst into tears.

The only one that paid her any attention was Mary, who whispered "Quiet! Listen!"

Gulping, Madam Pomfrey pressed her fingers to her mouth, eyes wide.

They all heard it: a phoenix singing in a way that Arthur had never heard before: a stricken lament of terrible beauty. Arthur felt, as he felt about phoenix song before, that the music was in his body, not without: it was his own grief turned magically into song that echoed across the grounds and then into the castle as the song grew louder, like it was approaching their way.

That was when they saw Fawkes fly into the hospital wing through an open gap in the doors and he landed right onto Arthur's shoulder. He then nuzzled Arthur's cheek as he shed a tear.

Arthur knew right away what this meant: Fawkes wanted him to be his new master. Arthur's eyes welled up as he was able to hug the phoenix for comfort, wanting the pain to be eased as they all mourned.

After a while, Arthur and Mike sat on a couple of chairs, which allowed Fawkes to stay on Arthur's lap.

Soon after, the doors opened wider as McGonagall entered. Like the others, she bore marks from the recent battle: grazes on her face and her robes were ripped.

"Martha and Ben are on their way." She said and everyone had roused themselves from the magical music. They turned to look at Rob, or rubbed their eyes or shook their heads. "Arthur, what happened? According to Hagrid, you were with Professor Dumbledore when he - when it happened. He says Professor Snape was involved in some -"

"Snape killed Dumbledore." Arthur told her.

She stared at him for a moment before swaying alarmingly. Madam Pomfrey, having pulled herself together, rushed forwards and conjured a chair from thin air, which she pushed under McGonagall.

"Snape." She repeated faintly as she fell into the chair. "We all wondered… but he trusted… always… Snape… I can't believe it…."

"Snape was a highly accomplished Occlumens." Lupin said, his voice now uncharacteristically harsh. "We always knew that."

"But Dumbledore swore he was on our side." Tonks whispered. "I always thought Dumbledore must know something about Snape that we didn't…."

"He always hinted that he had an iron clad reason for trusting Snape." McGonagall muttered, dabbing at the corners of her leaking eyes with a tartan edged handkerchief. "I mean… with Snape's history… of course people were bound to wonder… but Dumbledore told me explicitly that Snape's repentance was absolutely genuine… wouldn't hear a word against him!"

"I'd love to know what Snape told him to convince him." Tonks said.

"I do."" Arthur told everyone, who stared at him and Fawkes. "Snape told Voldemort about the prophecy, leading to him hunting down my parents. Snape told Dumbledore he didn't realise what he did, he was 'sorry' he'd done it, 'sorry' that they were dead."

"And Dumbledore believed that?" Lupin asked incredulously. "Dumbledore believed Snape was sorry John was dead? Snape hated John…."

"And he didn't think my mum was worth a damn, Because she was a Muggle-Born. Called her a Mudblood."

No one asked how he knew this. All were just lost in horrified shock, trying to digest the horrible truth of what happened.

"This is all my fault." McGonagall suddenly said, looking disoriented, twisting her wet handkerchief in her hands. "My fault. I sent Filius to fetch Snape tonight, I actually sent for him to come and help us! If I hadn't alerted Snape to what was going on, he might neer have joined forces with the Death Eaters. I don't think he knew they were there before Filius told him, I don't think he knew they were coming."

"It isn't your fault, Minerva." Lupin said firmly. "We all wanted more help, we were glad to think Snape was on his way…."

"Did he join on the Death Eaters' side when he arrived at the fight?" Arthur asked, now wanting every detail of his duplicity and infamy, wanting more reasons to hate him, to seek vengeance. He stroked Fawkes in the process.

"I don't know exactly how it happened." McGonagall said distractedly. "It's all so confusing… Dumbledore had told us that he would be leaving the school for a few hours and that we were to patrol the corridors just in case… Remus, Rob and Nymphador were to join us… and so we patrolled. All seemed quiet. Every secret passageway out of the school was covered. We knew nobody could fly in. There were powerful enchantments on every entrance into the castle. I still don't know how the Death Eaters can possibly have entered…."

"I do." Arthur replied, explaining about the Vanishing Cabinets and the pathway they formed and how Draco fixed the one at Hogwarts. "And they got in through the Room of Requirement."

He looked over at Mike, David and Mary, the three looking devastated.

"We messed up." David said bleakly. "We did just as you told us. We checked the Marauder's Map and didn't see Draco. We knew he was in the Room of Requirement. So me, Mike, Mary and Neville went to keep watch… but Draco got past us."

"How?" Arthur asked.

"He came out of the Room an hour after we started watching." Mary said. "He was by himself and clutched an awful shrivelled arm -"

"The Hand of Glory." Mike said. "Gives light to only the holder."

"He had to have checked whether the coast was clear for the Death Eaters." Mary continued. "The moment he saw us, he threw something into the air and it went pitch black -"

" - Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder." David spat bitterly. "Jack and Kevin's. I'm going to give them a word about who they let buy their products."

"We tried everything, but nothing could penetrate the darkness. We had to grope our way out of the corridor while we heard people rushing past us." Mary then said.

"Draco saw everything because of the Hand and guided them, but we didn't use curses or anything in case we hit each other, then when we reached a corridor that was light, they were gone."

"Luckily." Lupin said hoarsely. "Mike, David, Mary and Neville ran into us almost immediately and told us what had happened. We found the Death Eaters minutes later, heading in the direction of the Astronomy Tower. Malfoy obviously hadn't expected more people to be on the watch; he seemed to have exhausted his supply of Darkness Powder, at any rate. A fight broke out, they scattered and we gave chase. One of them, Gibbon, broke away and headed up the Tower stairs -"

"To conjure the Mark?" Arthur asked.

"He must have done, yes, they must have arranged that before they left the Room of Requirement. But I don't think Gibbon liked the idea of waiting up there alone for Dumbledore, because he came running back downstairs to rejoin the fight and was hit by a Killing Curse that just missed me."

Arthur then realised that Chrys and Luna weren't mentioned yet. "Where were the both of you?"

"Outside of Snape's office." Chrys whispered, her eyes sparkling with tears. "We hung around for ages outside and nothing happened. We didn't know what was going on upstairs as Mike had the Marauder's Map. It was nearly midnight when Professor Flitwick sprinted down into the dungeons. He shouted that Death Eaters were in the castle. I don't think he registered me and Luna being there, he just burst into Snape's office and we heard him saying that Snape had to go back with him and help. Then there was a loud thump and Snape hurtled out of the room and that was when he saw us. And - and -"

"Then what?" Arthur asked.

"We were so stupid!" Chrys said, so distraught. "He said Flitwick collapsed and that we should go and take care of him while - he went to help fight the Death Eaters -"

She then covered her face, so ashamed of himself.

"We went into his office and found him unconscious on the floor. Snape Stupefied him. We just let Snape go!" She shrieked, her voice muffled.

"It's not your fault." Lupin said firmly. "Chrys, had you not obeyed Snape and got out of the way, he would possibly have killed you and Luna."

"Then he came upstairs." Arthur said, his mind's eye seeing Snape running up the marble staircase, his black robes billowing behind him, wand out from his cloak as he ascended. "And found where you were all fighting."

"We were in trouble, we were losing." Tonks said in a low voice. "Gibbon was down, but the rest of the Death Eaters seemed ready to fight to the death. Neville had been hurt, Rob had been savaged by Greyback… it was all dark… curses flying everywhere… the Malfoy boy had vanished, he must have slipped past, up the stairs to the Tower… then more of them ran after him, but one of them blocked the stairs behind them with some kind of curse… Neville ran at it and got thrown into the air -"

"None of us could break through." Mike said. "And that huge Death Eater still fired jinxes all over the place, bouncing off of walls and nearly hitting us…."

"And then Snape was there." Tonks said. "And then he wasn't -"

"We saw him running towards us, but that Death Eater's jinx would've hit Mary if I didn't push her to the ground. We lost track of things for a moment." David said.

"I saw him run straight through the cursed barrier as though it wasn't there." Lupin said. "I tried to follow him but was thrown back, just like Neville…."

"He must have known a spell we didn't." McGonagall whispered. "After all - he was the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher… I just assumed that he was in a hurry to chase after the Death Eaters who'd escaped up to the Tower…."

"He was." Arthur said savagely. "But to help them. It must be a case of having a Dark Mark to get through the barrier. What happened when he came back down?"

"Well, the big Death Eater had just fired off a hex that caused half the ceiling to fall in, and also broke the curse blocking the stairs." Lupin said. "We all ran forwards - those of us who were still standing, anyway - and then Snape and the boy emerged out of the dust - obviously, none of us attacked them -"

"We just let them pass." Tonks said in a hollow voice. "We thought they were being chased by the Death Eaters - and next thing, the other Death Eaters and Greyback were back and we were fighting again - I thought I heard Snape shout something, but I don't know what -"

"He shouted 'It's over'. He did what he was meant to do." Arthur replied.

Everyone fell silent. Fawkes made another lament that echoed in the whole ward, reverberating and echoing out throughout the rest of the castle.

Arthur was now thinking thoughts that were unwelcomed. Did they move Dumbeldore's body from the foot of the Astronomy Tower? What will happen to it next? Where will it rest? He clenched his hand around the fake Horcrux in his pocket.

The doors opened up and they all jumped.

In came Martha and Ben, who strode up the ward with Fleur just behind them, her beautiful face terrified.

"Martha - Ben -" McGonagall said, jumping up to her feet and hurrying to greet them. "I am so sorry -"

"Rob." Martha whispered as she darted past her and caught sight of Rob's mangled face. "Rob…."

Lupin and Tonks got up and retreated for the two parents to get nearer to the bed. Martha bent over her son and pressed her forehead against his bloody forehead.

"Greyback attacked him?" Ben said grimly to McGonagall, his face twitching to prevent himself breaking down. "He didn't transform, right? What will happen to him?"

"We don't yet know." McGonagall said, looking helplessly at Lupin.

"There will probably be some contamination, Ben." Lupin said. "It is an odd case, possibly unique… we don't know what his behaviour might be like when he wakes up…."

Martha took the nasty smelling ointment from Madam Pomfrey, dabbing at Rob's wounds.

"What about Dumbledore?" Ben asked. "Is it true, Minerva?"

She nodded.

Meanwhile, Arthur noticed that Mary narrowed her eyes at Fleur, who gazed down at Rob, a frozen expression on her face.

"He's gone." Ben whispered, though Martha's eyes were only for her oldest child, sobbing, her tears falling onto Rob's mutilated face.

"It doesn't matter how he looks…. That's not important…. Always handsome…. He was ging to be married!"

"And what do you mean by zat?" Fleur now spoke, and loudly. "What do you mean, 'e was going to be married?"

Martha raised her tear stained face, looking shocked.

"Only that -"

"You theenk Rob will not wish to marry me any more?" Fleur demanded. "You theenk, because of these bites, he will not love me?"

"No, that isn't what -"

"Because 'e will!" Fleur said, drawing herself up to her full height, throwing back her long silver hair. "It would take more zan a werewolf to stop Rob loving me!"

"I'm sure, I just thought that - given how he -"

"You thought I would not weesh to marry him? Or per'aps, you 'oped?" Fleur said as her nostrils flared. "What do I care how 'e looks? I am good looking enough for both of us, I theenk! All these scars show is zat my husband is brave! And I shall do zat!" She added fiercely, pushing past Martha and snatched the oinment from her.

Martha fell back against her husband and watched Fleur mopping Rob's wounds with a shocked expression.

No one said a word; Arthur didn't even move and Fawkes stared back and forth between Martha and Fleur.

Finally, Martha spoke.

"Our Great Auntie Edna has a very beautiful tiara - goblin made - which I'm sure I can persuade her to give you for the wedding. She's fond of Rob. It would look lovely with your hair."

"Thank you." Fleur said stiffly. "I am sure zat will be lovely."

Then - Arthur not seeing how it happened - both women cried and hugged each other. Arthur looked around and saw the shocked and startled expressions on Mike, David, Chrys and Mary's faces.

"You see!" Tonks said in a strained voice, glaring at Lupin. "She still wants to marry him, even though he's been bitten! She doesn't care!"

"It's different." Lupin said, barely moving his lips and looked tense. "Rob will not be a full werewolf. The cases are completely -"

"But I don't care either, I don't care!" Tonks said, seizing the front of his robes and shook him.. "I've told you a million times…."

She just confirmed what Arthur suspected: she's in love with Lupin.

"And I've told you a million times…" Lupin said, refusing to meet her eyes, staring at the floor. "...that I am too old for you… too poor… too dangerous…."

"I've kept saying that you're being ridiculous, Remus." Martha said over Fleur's shoulder as she patted her on the back.

"I am not being ridiculous." Lupin said steadily. "Tonks deserves somebody young and whole."

"But she wants you." Ben said. "Besides, young and whole men don't stay that way forever." He gestured to ob, lying between them.

"This is… not the moment to discuss it." Lupin said, avoiding everyone's eyes, looking around distractedly. "Dumbledore is dead…."

"Dumbledore would have been happier than anybody to think that there was a little more love in the world." McGonagall said curtly right as the hospital doors opened again and in came Hagrid.

The little of his face shown was soaked and swollen, shaking with tears, a vast spotted handkerchief on his hand.

"I've… I've done it, Professor." He choked. "M-moved him. Professor Sprout's got the kids back in bed. Professor Flitwick's lyin' down but he says he'll be alright in a jiffy, an' Professor Slughorn says the Ministry's bin informed."

"Thank you, Hagrid." McGonagall said, standing up and looking at the group around Rob's bed. "I shall have to see the Ministry when they get here. Hagrid, please tell the Heads of House - Slughorn can represent Slytherin - that I want to see them in my office forthwith. I would like you to join us, too."

Hagrid nodded and turned, shuffling out of the room.

McGonagall then looked at Arthur.

"Before I meet them, I would like a quick word with you, Arthur. If you'll come with me…."

Arthur stood as he murmured "See you later" to Mike, David, Chrys and Mary, Fawkes jumping onto his shoulder, and followed after McGonagall.

They left the ward and made their way through the corridors, which were deserted and all that could be heard was Fawkes' phoenix song.

It took several minutes before Arthur was aware that they weren't actually heading for McGonagall's office, instead, for Dumbledore's. He then remembered that she was Deputy Headmistress… now just Headmistress.

In silence, they ascended the moving spiral staircase and entered the office.

It looked almost exactly the same as it did when he and Dumbledore left hours ago.

Fawkes flew right for his perch and Arthur noticed a new portrait joining the ranks of the dead headmasters and headmistresses of Hogwarts… Dumbledore slumbered in a golden frame over the desk, his half moon spectacles perched upon his crooked nose, looking peaceful and untroubled.

After glancing at it, McGonagall made an odd movement, like she was steeling herself before rounding the desk to look at Arthur, her face now taut and lined.

"Arthur, I would like to know what you and Professor Dumbledore were doing this evening when you left the school."

"I'm sorry, Professor, but I can't tell you." Arhur replied. He knew he was going to be asked this at some point, so he always had an answer ready. It was in this very office that Dumbledore told him to not confide the contents of their lessons to anyone, except for Mike, David and Chrys.

"Arthur, it might be important." McGonagall said.

"I know, it's why he told me not to tell anyone." Arthur replied, McGonagall glared at him.

"Pendergast…" She now went back to using his surname. "...in the light of Professor Dumbledore's death, I think you must see that the situation has changed somewhat -"

"It hasn't." Arthur shrugged. "Professor Dumbledore didn't tell me to stop following his orders after his death."

"But -"

"You should know something before the Ministry arrives. Madam Rosmerta is under the Imperius Curse. She helped Draco and the Death Eaters, hence the necklace and the poisoned mead -"

"Rosmerta?" McGonagall said incredulously.

She would've went on, but a knock on the door behind them was heard before Sprout, Flitwick and Slughorn entered, followed by Hagrid, who was still weeping, his huge frame trembling with grief.

"Snape!" Slughorn ejaculated, looking the most shaken up, pale and sweating. "Snape! I taught him! I thought I knew him!"

Before anyone could respond, a sharp voice spoke from high on the wall: a sallow faced wizard with a short black fringe just walked back his empty canvas.

"Minerva, the Minister will be here within seconds, he has just Disapparated from the Ministry."

"Thank you, Everard." McGonagall said before turning back to the teachers.

"I want to talk about what happens to Hogwarts before he gets here. Personally, I am not convinced that the school should reopen next yet. The death of the Headmaster at the hands of one of our colleagues is a terrible stain upon Hogwarts' history. It is horrible."

"I am sure Dumbledore would have wanted the school to remain open." Sprout said. "I feel that if a single pupil wants to come, then the school ought to remain open for that pupil."

"But will we have a single pupil after this?" Slughorn asked, now dabbing his sweating brow with a silken handkerchief. "Parents will want to keep their children at home and I can't say I blame them. Personally, I don't think we're in more danger at Hogwarts than we are anywhere else, but you can't expect mothers to think like that. They'll want to keep their families together, it's only natural."

"I agree." McGonagall said. "And in any case, it is not true to say that Dumbledore never envisaged a situation in which Hogwarts might close. When the Chamber of Secrets reopened, he considered the closure of the school - and I must say that Professor Dumbledore's murder is more disturbing to me than the idea of Slytherin's monster living undetected in the bowels of the castle…."

"We must consult the governors." Flitwick said in his squeaky little voice; he had a large bruise on his forehead but he seemed unscathed overall from his collapse in Snape's office. "We must follow the established procedures. A decision should not be made hastily."

"Hagrid, you haven't said anything." McGonagall said. "What are your views, ought Hogwarts to remain open?"

Hagrid, who was weeping silently into his large spotted handkerchief throughout the conversation, now raised his puffy red eyes and croaked "I dunno, Professor… that's fer the Heads of House an' the Headmistress ter decide…."

"Professor Dumbledore always valued your views." McGonagall said kindly. "And so do I."

"Well, I'm stayin'" Hagrid said with fat tears leaking out of the corners of his eyes still, trickling down into his tangled beard. "It's me home, it's bin me home since I was thirteen. An' if there's kids wan' me ter teach 'em, I'll do it. But… I dunno… Hogwarts without Dumbledore…."

He gulped before disappearing behind his handkerchief again and there was silence.

"Very well." McGonagall said, glancing out of the window at the grounds, checking to see if the Minister was approaching. "Then I must agree with Filus that the right thing to do is to consult the governors, who will take the final decision. Now, as to getting students home… there is an argument for doing it sooner rather than later. We could arrange for the Hogwarts Express to come tomorrow if necessary -"

"But what about Dumbledore's funeral?" Arthur asked, finally entering the conversation.

"Well…." McGonagall said, losing a bit of her briskness as her voice shook. "I - I know that it was Dumbledore's wish to be laid to rest here, at Hogwarts -"

"Then we should do as he wished." Arthur said fiercely.

"If the Ministry thinks it appropriate." McGonagall replied. "No other headmaster or headmistress has ever been -"

"No other headmaster or headmistress ever gave more to this school." Hagrid growled.

"Hogwarts should be Dumbledore's final resting place." Flitwick said.

"Absolutely." Sprout agreed.

"Also, the students should stay for the funeral. They'll want to say… goodbye." Arthur said, his voice breaking as he said the final word.

"Well said." Flitwick squeaked. "Well said indeed! Our students should pay tribute, it is fitting. We can arrange transport home afterwards."

"Seconded." Sprout said.

"I suppose… yes." Slughorn said in an agitated voice while Hagrid made a strangled sob of assent.

Fawkes then made a cry, like he was agreeing with them. It made Arthur shed a tear.

"He's coming." McGonagall said, looking out at the grounds. "The Minister… and by the looks of it, he's brought a delegation…."

"Can I leave, Professor?" Arthur asked, not wanting to be seen or interrogated by Scrimgeour tonight.

"You may." McGonagall said. "And quickly."

Fawkes landed on Arthur;s shoulder as she strode to the door and held it open for Arthur.

He made his way down the spiral staircase and down the deserted corridor. He remembered that his Invisibility Cloak was at the top of the Astronomy Tower, but he didn't care at the moment.

No one was in the corridors to see him pass, not even Filch, Mrs Norris or Peeves. He didn't meet another soul until he turned into the passage that led to the Gryffindor common room.

"Is it true?" The Fat Lady whispered as he approached. "Is it really true? Dumbledore - dead?"

Arthur nodded and she let out a wail of agony, swinging forward to admit him without waiting for a password.

The common room was packed, just as he expected.

The whole room fell silent when he climbed through the portrait hole with Fawkes still on his shoulder.

He saw both Dean and Seamus sitting in a group nearby, meaning the dormitory was empty, or nearly so.

Without saying a word to anyone, or making eye contact, he walked across the room and through the door to the boys' dormitories.

As he had hoped and expected, both Mike and David waited for him, still fully dressed and sitting on his and David's beds. Arthur sat next to Mike and leaned his head against Mike's shoulder and Fawkes landed on the bedside table.

"They're talking about closing the school." Arthur told them.

"Lupin said they would." David said.

There was a pause.

"Did you find one? A Horcrus?" Mike asked.

Arthur took his head off his shoulder and shook his head bitterly.

"Someone already took it and left behind a fake in its place."

The two boys were shocked as Arthur pulled out the fake from his pocket and opened it in front of them.

"R.A.B." David whispered. "Why does that sound familiar?"

"I don't know." Arthur said, as he too felt a familiarity to it. "But whoever they are, they took the Horcrux. And there's a chance they didn't destroy it."

He then looked out at the grounds as Fawkes made one last phoenix song, which Arthur recollected that Dumbledore had left the school… the world… and Arthur.

I just had to have Arthur be Fawkes' new master. It would be fitting, considering the connection the two have.