Charmolypi

Chapter 67

They stepped off the stone staircase at the top, and Professor McGonagall rapped on the door. It opened silently and they entered. Professor McGonagall told the siblings to wait and left them standing there alone. The sibling were looking around the room as they waited for the professor to return. Harry's eyes landed on the sorting hat, instantly, a thoughtful look graced his features.

"Bee in your bonnet, Harry Potter?"

"Er, yes," Harry muttered. "Er — sorry to bother you — I wanted to ask —"   

"You've been wondering whether I put you in the right House," said the hat smartly. "Yes . . . you were particularly difficult to place. But I stand by what I said before" — Harry's heart leapt — "you would have done well in Slytherin —"   Harry's stomach plummeted. He grabbed the point of the hat and pulled it off. It hung limply in his hand, grubby and faded. Harry pushed it back onto its shelf, feeling sick.   

"You're wrong," he said aloud to the still and silent hat. It didn't move. Harry backed away, watching it. Then a strange, gagging noise behind him made him wheel around. He wasn't alone after all. Standing on a golden perch behind the door was a decrepit-looking bird that resembled a half-plucked turkey. Harry stared at it and the bird looked balefully back, making its gaging noises again.

The animal lovers either gasped in fear or gasped in excitement, receiving weird looks all around.

Harry was just thinking that all he needed was for Dumbledore's pet bird to die while he was alone in the office with it, when the bird burst into flames.        

Harry yelled in shock and backed away into the desk. He looked feverishly around in case there was a glass of water somewhere but couldn't see one; the bird, meanwhile, had become a fireball; it gave one loud shriek and next second there was nothing but a smoldering pile of ash on the floor.    The office door opened. Dumbledore came in, looking very somber.

"Professor," Harry gasped. "Your bird - I couldn't do anything - he just caught fire -"    To Harry's astonishment, Dumbledore smiled.  

"About time, too," he said. "He's been looking dreadful for days; I've been telling him to get a move on." He chuckled at the stunned look on Harry's face. "Fawkes is a phoenix, Harry. Phoenixes burst into flame when it is time for them to die and are reborn from the ashes. Watch him . . ."

"It's burning day, right?" Thea asked, making her presence known again.

"It weirds me out how much she knows things," Evan whispered to his friends who slowly nodded in agreement.

"That's correct," Dumbledore said, smiling at the girl before he turned back to Harry. "It's a shame you had to see him on a Burning Day," said Dumbledore, seating himself behind his desk. "He's really very handsome most of the time, wonderful red and gold plumage. Fascinating creatures, phoenixes. They can carry immensely heavy loads, their tears have healing powers, and they make highly faithful pets."

Many of the adults looked suspiciously at Dumbledore who was trying very hard not to look uncomfortable in front of that many stares.

The group was in complete silence observing the small phoenix that had appeared from the ashes. "Before Dumbledore could speak another word, however, the door of the office flew open with an almighty bang and Hagrid burst in, a wild look in his eyes, his balaclava perched on top of his shaggy black head and the dead rooster still swinging from his hand.

"It wasn' Harry, Professor Dumbledore!" said Hagrid urgently. "I was talkin' ter him seconds before that kid was found, he never had time, sir —" Dumbledore tried to say something, but Hagrid went ranting on, waving the rooster around in his agitation, sending feathers everywhere. "— it can't've bin him, I'll swear it in front o' the Ministry o' Magic if I have to —"

"Hagrid, I —"

"— yeh've got the wrong boy, sir, I know Harry never —"

"Hagrid!" said Dumbledore loudly. "I do not think that Harry attacked those people."

"Oh," said Hagrid, the rooster falling limply at his side. "Right. I'll wait outside then, Headmaster." Without another word, the half-giant stomped out of the office.

"You don't think it was me, Professor?" Harry repeated hopefully as Dumbledore brushed rooster feathers off his desk.

"No, Harry, I don't," said Dumbledore, though his face was somber again. "But I still want to talk to you." He looked at Thea, somewhat hopefully. "Both of you." Harry waited nervously while Dumbledore considered him, the tips of his long fingers together. "I must ask you, Harry, whether there is anything you'd like to tell me," he said gently. "Anything at all."

The comment threw Thea off completely and she felt her blood boil at how the headmaster treated Harry. She knew he was making trust him. Making sure he was loyal to him.

James turned accusingly to the Headmaster, who refused to look at him.

Moody and McGonagall looked at one another discreetly, wondering if it were the right thing to put their trust in that man.

"No," Harry told him, looking slightly uncomfortable. "There isn't anything Professor..."

The scene changed showing Thea and Matteo hugging Theo, who had his luggage beside him.

"Don't miss me too much, you two" he said in a cheeky tone, obviously teasing his friends.

"Oh please, as if we'll notice you're even gone," Thea rolled her eyes, a playful smirk on her face.

Matteo jokingly hit her shoulder. "Of course we will," he told her, "it'll be quiet for once."

"Oh shove off, you two" Theo said with a laugh, jokingly shoving the pair. The sound of the train's whistle ran through the air, alerting students that it was almost time for departure. "I better be off, then. Happy holidays!" with that he ran off to the train.

"I love their friendship!"

"It's so wholesome."

"Who thought Gryffindors and Slytherins could be such good friends?"

When Theo loaded his trunk, he turned to the pair one last time, waving goodbye. Matteo and Thea returned his actions with smiles on their faces. Once their friend had boarded the train, the pair turned and walked back to the castle, both looking burdened.

"You saw it, right?" Thea asked Matteo quietly.

"What is she talking about?" Peter asked his friends, but only two of his friends shrugged.

Sirius couldn't take his eyes off the screen, knowing exactly what it was like to try to hide abuse from the people that you love.

"How his hands were shaking? Yes, I did." Matteo answered quietly.

"Has he ever told you anything about his home life?"

Matteo shook his head. "I know as much as you do. His mother died giving birth to him, and he doesn't talk about his father."

"I think I'm going to write a letter to Mrs. Weasley, see if she knows anything about how the Nott family is." To which Matteo nodded his head in agreement.

Theo's father, Theodore Nott, scowled at the screen, hating how his son and his friends were acting.

Some people started shooting the boy some questioning looks, no one understanding what was going on with him.

"Make way for the Heir of Slytherin!" George yelled jokingly.

"Seriously evil wizard coming through!" Fred went along with it.

The pair looked at the twins only to see Harry walking down the hallway with Ron and Hermione. Without thinking twice, Thea ran to the courtyard, made two snowballs and threw them at the heads of the twins.

"Cut it out, you two!" She said sternly.

"The Harry protector!"

"If she keeps standing up for him, your son's going to turn out a wimp, Potter!"

Harry, Hermione, and Ron walked down a secluded hallway that they had deemed fit for them to talk about their plan.

"At this rate, we'll be the only ones left," Ron said. "Us, Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle. What a jolly holiday it's going to be."