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Disclaimer: I own nothing. Simply Phoenix and her grandfather.


Chapter 2


Phoenix followed the group to the station, staying a considerable length behind them, with her chin to her chest and her hair over her face. No one paid much mind to her, except the dog. The great dog walked next to her at one point, barking lightly and trying to get her to pet it.


Phoenix liked animals, but there was something about this one. Something that told her that it wasn't being honest, though dogs can't exactly lie. She had given it a quick pat on the head and moved away from it as best she could on the narrow side walk. The dog gave up on her, as most things did, and decided to chase birds instead, making the boy, Harry Potter, laugh.


When they reached the station Molly pulled her aside and tried fixing her stringy black hair. "Now, then, Dear. Things will be better now." She said, her eyes on Phoenix's scarred face. "Nothing could be worse than what that man did to you." Phoenix pulled away from the affection that she had been enjoying at the mention of her grandfather. Then she simply muttered to the woman her first words since arriving at The House Of Black.


"You'd be suprised." With that she boarded the train. Phoenix knew worse. She knew what it was like to be told to lay down and just be still. She knew what it was like to be hit repeatedly and whipped. She knew worse than anything these kids on this train knew.


She was one of the first people on the train and found an empty compartment. But, of course, it filled very quickly. She ended up sitting next to the two red haired twins and their friend, a dark skinned boy who looked at her like she was an alien. The twins tried talking to her, bringing her into their conversation, but she knew those tricks. They would act like her friend, then get her into a dark corner. She wouldn't fall for that again. She again, let her chin fall to her chest. That was a signal the twins understood from the summer. They stood, promised that they would be back, then the three of them left. Phoenix took this oppertunity to change into her uniform and fall asleep.


Only, she couldn't sleep. It was too noisey. But she could pretend. She heard the three come back, and heard them whispering, about her.


"What's wrong with her?" Their friend, Lee, asked. Phoenix pretended even harder that she was asleep.


"Nothing is wrong with her." One of the twins said. "What's wrong with you?" He sounded very defensive. His brother chimed in as the peace maker.


"We don't know, really. All that anyone will tell us is that she 'had a hard time of it'." He mocked. "But, be nice, you Git." He said, and she heard a shove. "She doesn't talk. I think she might be mute."


Phoenix raised her head and looked at them as her hair fell away. "I'm not a mute." She whispered. All were shocked. "I just don't talk when I don't want to."


"Why have you been hiding all summer?" One twin asked. Phoenix fixed him with a glare.


"Why should I trust any of you?" She asked, tucking herself into her corner. The three sat back in their seats, staring at her, again like she was an alien. She realized that her scars were visible and her chin joined her chest again.


"She's got us there, Fred." The twin across for her said to his brother. "But then, why shouldn't you trust us?" He asked her.


Phoenix looked at him through her hair. "Because men can't be trusted." She pulled her clothes closer to her and looked away ending the conversation.

But Lee was persistant. "Why are you coming to Hogwarts now?" He asked. "You have to be, what, fifteen?" Phoenix looked up at him.

"Why am I coming here?" She laughed a bitter laugh. "I don't know. I was living my life, as I had been. Then some man came, took me to some house and never explained anything." Then her eyes closed. "And there's the whole reason, men can't be trusted."

"Are you getting sorted with everyone else?" The twin next to her asked.

"No. I have to go to the Deputy Headmistress's office." She said, not enjoying the questions. "Why not just do what you want?" She asked finally. "Quit playing with me. It's worse when you do." She shut her eyes and waited.

The three boys were bewildered. What was she talking about? Do what they want? Playing with her? Finally, Fred spoke up. "What are you talking about?" He asked.

"I won't fight, unless you want me to." She said, a tear falling from her eye. "Just get it over with."

George finally got it. "Are you saying what I think you are saying?" He asked. "Phoenix, we aren't going to do anything to you." He tried to touch her face but she pulled away. "Is that what happened to you at your old school?"

Phoenix opened one eye. All three were exactly where they had been, stunned into statues. She closed her eye again and started to cry.

(Thank you! I really appreciate that)
Disclaimer: I Only own Phoenix and her Grandfather, nothing else.



Chapter 3



Phoenix walked into the school, followed closely by Fred and George Weasley, and Lee Jordan. She wasn't very comfortable with them so close to her, but there wasn't much way of her getting rid of them, this they had told her, in no unclear terms. She just couldn't trust anyone.

She watched the people about her age walking around her, laughing happily, and some watching her. She put her chin to her chest and fell back so that the three boys could lead the way for her. They were being nice to her, but how long would that last, she wondered.

People at Durmstrang had been nice to her too, for a little while. But, Molly had told her that it would be better at this school, but, no one ever saw what actually went on, not when they didn't want to.

Fred stopped at a door and indicated for Phoenix to follow him. She walked carefully behind him. When they got into the room, there was a classroom. Fred lead her to the door at the other end. He knocked and within seconds it was open.

A severe woman in a pointed hat walked out. "Thank you misters Weasley and mister Jordan. I will take it from here." She said dismissing them and pointing Phoenix into the room. She obeyed. After she closed the door she turned to Phoenix with a different expression, a softer and kinder one. "Hello, Miss Black." She said, sitting behind her desk and indicating a seat in front of it. "Now, before you are sorted, we need to talk about what your old situation was." Phoenix turned whiter than she was. "Now, I know that you were, to put it mildly, mistreated. I would like to know the extent of that."

Phoenix looked up at her. She shook her head. "No." She whispered.

"Now, Miss Black, please. It really is the only way for us to put you in the right place." Phoenix laughed bitterly the second time that day.

"No." She said. "I know what people think of me." She pulled her hair back to show her multiple scars. "I'm a monster. They stare at me, they laugh at me. I have lived my entire life, looking like something from a horror story. If you want to know the 'right place' to put me, I'll tell you. Just put me somewhere away from everyone else. That way I won't scare the small children and none of the older student's can hurt me." She said, letting her hair fall. The Deputy Headmistress looked shocked.

"Miss Black. I will not segregate you from the other students." She said, a bit more firmly. "You are not a monster. You have had a hard time growing up. There is no reason for anyone to be frightened of you and no reason for you to be worried about anyone hurting you." She stood and walked to the girl. "I am going to do something that is not procedure, but it is what you need. I know a Gryffindor when I see one. So, to keep you with the friends that you have made I am skipping the sorting hat process and placing you in that house. Now, come along. I will take you to the Great Hall and place you in the Weasley twin's care. They will take care of you." She sneered. "They may have a problem with the rules, but they are nice boys, and they will take great care of you." She lead Phoenix to the door and then to the Great Hall.

When they reached the Hall, everyone turned to look at her. And Professor McGonagall had told her on the way there what being a Gryffindor meant, Phoenix tried her hardest to keep her head up. After being placed in the twin's care, Phoenix blocked everything out but eating. The food was actually pretty good, compaired to Durmstrang pig slop would be good. Everything for the rest of the night went by quickly enough for Phoenix. She spent her time with Fred and George, got a tour of the common room and was told where she would sleep, and that they wouldn't be able to take her up, because of a jinx on the staircase, but if she needed anything from them, she was able to come to their dorm. She thanked them and watched them go up the stairs to bed.

By this time the common room had cleared out and she was alone, by the fire. She knew that it would be best to go to sleep, but she wasn't really willing to. She got comfortable and just sat. She was still being 'watched' but this was nothing like what her grandfather had set up for her, she wasn't free, but she also wasn't in her cage.

Phoenix had zoned out by the time she realized that someone had sat next to her. It was a boy her own age, kind of chubby with dark hair and seemingly kind eyes.

"Hullo." He said. Phoenix backed away from him. "Don-Don't be afraid. I'm Neville. What's your name?" He made a move to touch her. Like a flash, Phoenix was off the chair and up the stairs. Things had changed, but she wasn't sure how much they had, nothing was to be trusted, not even herself.

redface I try. I always thought that there was more to McGonnagal.. And Snape, but I guess he was given more meaning in the last book. That's ok, I have another story that I will probably put up soon. I like OC stories... or I like writing them... lol.

Snape was always an interesting fellow, ne?
lol...ooooh I can't wait til you post the other story =]

(THANK YOU! Well, here goes. XD)

Disclaimer: Own nothing, nothing but Phoenix and her grandfather.



Chapter 5


Phoenix was shocked. She had just been pulled away from the Great Hall and hauled into an empty room. So her father had been by her all summer? Well, there you go, another man that couldn't be trusted.

She made her way back to the Great Hall, just in time to get her class schedule. When Professor McGonnagal saw her with the twins she gave a very rare smile and hurried to her.

"Well, what did I tell you, Miss Black?" She said, putting a tentative hand on the girl's shoulder. Phoenix felt herself cringe. "They will take fine care of you." With that she handed over the schedule and proceeded on.

As Phoenix walked to class, observing the pictures that moved, and of course, seeing the people stare and point at her. She was used to that, who else had giant scars going from not only her eye and throat, but also one going diagnally across her lips. There were stories everywhere on her body. Every scar had their own story, every one of them was from years of unimaginable abuse.

Classes turned out to be a lot better than the classes at Durmstrang. Her potions class was one of her favorite, the teacher knew what he was talking about, and he didn't bother with the,'if you do it like this then you will get almost the same result'. Like she had at Durmstrang. She knew what she was to do with these things. She had never had any friends, so she had plenty of time to practice, and research, and read. She was above most people in most of her classes, and was praised silently by the potion's master, Professor Snape.

By the end of the day, Phoenix was more used to the stares of her classmates. They were still staring openly at her, not even bothing to hide what they were looking at. She just kept her head down and a great distance between herself and anyone.

Sitting by the fire, very late that night, Phoenix got the time to think of her father. The dog at that house had been her father? How was that possible. Fred and George had explained that he was an animagus, but still. Why didn't he reveal himself to her? He was supposed to be her father, but he wasn't acting like it. Standing up, Phoenix decided to do something about her total confusion.

She grabbed a quil from her bag and some parchment. She sat at a table and put quil to parchment. With in minutes she was done, the letter was done and she was ready to hand it to Fred and George to send it off. It read,

Dearest Father,

If I can call you that. I want you to know, that you ruined my life. You are a murderer, even if you did not kill those people, you killed my mother, and you killed me. Because of you, I am the way I am. Why would you never reveal yourself to me? Why would you do that to me?

Sincerely,

Your daughter, Phoenix.

She had signed it with a flair. She wanted her father to know what he had done, and she wanted him to feel guilt, remorse. She put the letter in her bag and went to bed, prepared to have it sent out the next day, prepared for the letter that she would get in return.

That is beautiful, and very sad. will you write more?

I know that writing can become very tedious, so take your time. If it takes a few days extra to get a chapter written, TAKE those extra days.

I've rather wait, say, a week for a really awesome chapter, rather than 2 days for a *crappy* chapter.

Just take your time, and figure out how you want the plot to progress in the next chapter(s)

smile