Phoenix Lestrange

Chapter four

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Phoenix sat on the floor in her bedroom and counted the silver coins Snape had given her. She had earned 10 galleons, and that might be enough. She had thought about the money the ministry had given her, but had decided against it. She    was not ready to visit the bank, not yet. Besides, the journey to diagon alley were far longer than to Hogsmeade.

There was a short knock on the door followed by Snape's barking: "Are you ready Phoenix? I do not have all day." "Yes professor!" "She yelped" and managed to spill all her coins over the floor. It wasn't until after the ball that the next trip to Hogsmeade were schedued. Snape had agreed to accompany her after a serious incident of grumbling and sneering. "Phoenix!" He yelled as she gathered her coins up and into her schoolbag. "I am here - and ready!" Phenix said. "Hmm.." Snape sneered as he pushed her through the door.

They wandered the streets of Hogsmeade in silence. It was the second time Phoenix visited Hogsmeade, but this time she allowed herself to truly look around.

"Hello dear, I didn't know Hogwarts allowed another day to- oh! Hello professor," Madam Malkins greeted them. "What do you need dear?" Phoenix mumbled something In reply. "What dear?" She said, and glance up at Snape, in case he were on the verge of exploding. He to her surprise were not. "A dress- or fabric for a dress. I have ten galleons." "So sorry my dear, but that won't get you far." Madam Malkins said as she looked around in her shop. "I only need the fabric" Phoenix said. "I suppose you could look in the used bin and see if you can make something out of-" "I'll pay the difference," Snape barked before Madam Malkins could reply. "Oh- very well then. What fabric did you have in mind dear?" The witch said. Phoenix could not do anything else than look up at Snape who pretended not to notice. "Something blue," Phoenix said after the flying measuring tape had nudged her a few times.

She felt the fabrics and tried them to her skin colour. Eventually she decided on a light blue lace. She however thought the fabrics were highly overpriced, but Snape did not say anything as he threw in the remaining galleons after she had emptied her bag on Madam Malkins counter. "Thank you professor. I will pay you back," Phoenix said as they excited the shop. "That will not be necessary Phoenix," Snape said as they made their way back towards the castle.

She took her measurements that night before bed. Snape could hear her scribble something and wonder around in her room, but he did not say anything. "Long night Phoenix?" Snape said, when she snuck out right before class. "Diamond couldn't sleep," she mumbled and hurried off.

She was in a rather good mood on that particular day, and it even laster through most parts of Umbridge's dreadful lesson. "Detention Ms Lestrange!" Ubridge said "What did I do now?!" Phoenix yelled. It was the first time she had spoke up for herself in class, and the rest of the students mumbled to each other. "That only proves that you are up to something, and believe me, I will find out what." "But that's not-" she started again, but this time Ubridge cut her off "you've already got yourself a month, do you want two?" She shook her head and slid further down in her seat.

Phoenix excited the classroom with the others, but Umbridge stopped her: "ehem.. Ms Lestrange?" "Yes professor," Phoenix said, and tried to ignore her gaze. "Where do you think you are going?" "To the great hall - with the others," she said. "Oh, no. You must be mistaken dear. You see your detention begins now." "But-" she stopped herself before she could get any more detention, and just hung her head and nodded. "That's better. Now, my office."

Umbrage made her write two scrolls parchment, and by the end of it her hand was bloody. "You may leave," Umbridge said. The clock turned eleven. She had been sitting there for almost six hours. "Same time tomorrow Lestrange," Umbridge said. "Alright professor," Phoenix mumbled, and started on the way back towards the dungeons. She did not get far before she was met by a black cloak and an angry looking Snape. "Where have you been?" he barked. Phoenix only looked up at him, and his angry scowl automatically softened. His eyes wandered down to her hand, were blood dripped on to the floor. "Come Phoenix. Lets get you in bed." He said, and put an arm on her shoulder. "We can talk about it after you have slept." That was all it took. That little flicker of pity, and Phoenix started to cry. It wasn't a loud cry, but her tears streamed down her face as she fallowed Snape in silence.

"I didn't do anything," she said, when she was in bed. Snape had bandaged her wrist and stopped the wound from bleeding. "I believe you." "and I didn't make our lesson," she continued "please don't take them away." She looked pleadingly up at him. "I will not take them away Phoenix," he said. "I will come up with something that will minemelize the pain in your hand when you have detention with Umbridge. And until you are finished with them, we are going to have to have our lessons in the mornings," "So you are not angry with me?" she said, as she sank back in her pillows from exhaustion. "No Phoenix, I am not angry with you." Snape said, as he watched her fall asleep. "But I wish I could help you more." He mumbled as he excited her room. It was not often he felt sorry for someone. Severus Snape was a hard man, and usually he thought half of the students should get twice as much detention than what they did. However this time, he wished he could take Umbridge's punishment away.

Phoenix sat in the library with a book up to her nose. Potions. Not any regular potions book, but; "The potionsmasters own hidden potions". She had read about the book in another book, and found it in the restricted section.

It had taken a while to convince Snape to say yes, but after some persuasion he had finally said yes to writing a note allowing her inside the other half of the library. Diamond sat on her shoulder while she read. "Look at that" she mumbled, as she came across a piece of magic she would very much like to try. It was rather complicated and the ingredients not to mention very expensive. The Phoenix nudged her cheek. "I know Diamond," she said. "But I am not going to steal". Anyway she coped the ingredients over in her own potions book and tucked it down in her own bag before anyone had the chance to ask any unwanted questions. She was half way through Umbridge's punishment, and had no plans for another one. Even though she had a professors consent.

"Good day?" Snape said, eying her as she entered his quarters. "Yes professor." She had come up with a potion on how to get your body to do a repetitive action in detention, for example writing lines, without the mind having to be present. It was quite simple really. She only had to use the brain from a hunting animal and the scales from a dragon, mixed with some rat claws and tangle grass to make it happen. It had made her detentions with Umbridge barely noticeable. She worked on her own potions in her mind while Umbridge thought she tortured her.

"Professor, do you know where I could get bones from an unborn Phoenix?" Snape looked up from his paper. "That is not something you find in everyones closet." "Yes, but where?" She said, and tried not to sound to eager. "It is expensive and rare, but you could probably find it in Hogsmeade." "Do you have it?" Phoenix said, and forgot herself for half a moment. "No, but if I did I would certainly not give it to you." Snape spat. "It is worth 400 galleons per gram." No, that was not something you found in everyone's chemistry set. Snape had given her some extra ingredients, and she would however be able to use some of them in her potion.

When she went to bed that night a Phoenix feather lay on her pillow. "Thank you Diamond," she said to the bird, who nodded towards her. That night she dreamt of flying and the ball. It was only a week until that night. She would be finished with detention until then. She wanted to look beautiful. For the first time in her life she wanted to look like she mattered.