Chapter Five: Live This Long
There are more pleasant things to do than beat up people. Muhammad Ali (1942 - )
Hermione could have sat with the rest of the Order in the Great Hall, waiting for the duel between Fawkes and the General. She sat with the children, knowing that they truly did not have to be there, but they all had no choice. The army was forcing everyone to attend, and Hermione could barely handle the thought of watching Fawkes fight, but the children should not have to watch it. Now though, holding onto some of the younger ones as they hugged her tightly, she drew strength from theirs, hoping to lend them some of hers.
The hall had been cleared and the tables pushed to the side. Everyone was held in place by a spell placed by the General. No one could leave, and the army seemed to be happy about that. Hermione shook her head at the cruelty, hugging the children closer.
"General Jacobson has been challenged for leadership," one of the men said. Hermione never took the time to learn all of their ranks, and quite frankly she felt that the ranks only were good for them to place their ideals above the rest of them. "The challenge shall begin shortly, all are present sir, as requested."
"Good," the General approached the center of the room. "I want everyone to understand something. You asked us to be here." He turned around the room, directing his stares or rather glares to the Order. "This is simply a demonstration of the skill that this army has to offer. You asked for us here to defend you all, which we gladly do."
"Only at the sacrifice of their freedom," Fawkes said, entering with a wind. Hermione nearly laughed as Fawkes looked a bit like Snape with his robes billowing behind him. Dumbledore casually floated in behind Fawkes, a grim look upon his face. He floated over toward Hermione, settling behind her. She was worried that the children would be scared of him, yet they paid no attention to Dumbledore, choosing to hold onto her or watch Fawkes.
"That is not how it should viewed," the General said. "You should understand that all of what we do for you is for the best of the community."
"I understand helping the community, but what I don't understand is the method," Fawkes said. "You have agreed, so lets get this over with." Fawkes removed his duster, showing his flame tattoo.
"Very well," said one of the men. "The duel is to the last man standing."
"I can handle that, can you old man?" The General asked. Fawkes grinned as he folded his duster, and walked over to Hermione.
"Could you hold this for me, please?" he asked with a smile. She nodded, blushing under his gaze.
Hermione watched as he walked back to the center of the hall, not fazed by the events of the day so far. She held onto the folded duster and the children, not tearing her eyes away from Fawkes. He stood in defensive stance, ready to dodge the spells the General would fire at him. She felt a fear though, growing in the air at what was to come.
The General began, firing off a stunner toward Fawkes, who stepped back from the spell. The air grew thick with the spell residue as Fawkes continued to dodge all of the spells. He did not fire any spells of his own, rather choosing to move closer and closer, as if to take him out with use of only his hands.
"You thinking about trying to catch me?" the General asked.
"It had crossed my mind," Fawkes said. He lunged forward, running into a thick shield the General had cast around him. He flew near ten feet backwards before stopping against the ground. The spell lit up the hall as Fawkes stood back on his feet.
"It might be a good idea to start casting spells," the General offered him as several stunners were released from his wand at once. Fawkes waved his wand, an old stick it looked like older than he did, as a shield of fire absorbed the spells. Hermione smiled slightly as he sent a spell through the General's shields, knocking him down. Quickly, he cast another spell, sticking him to the floor.
"He's down," Fawkes said. He turned toward the crowd, ready to end the fight. Hermione let out a breath she did not know she was holding.
"Last man standing means alive fool," the General said. He weaved his wand, dispelling Fawkes's curse. He stood back up, prepared for stronger attacks. "Let's get started." He sent a volley of curses toward Fawkes. A sick laughter filled the room as they connected with Fawkes's chest. His wand rolled on the floor and into the crowd. Hermione closed her eyes and pulled the children to her tighter as a radiance filled the room. As the roomed dimmed, Hermione turned to look back at Fawkes, his shirt gone as well as parts of his pants.
"Boy, you are making a big mistaking," Fawkes said. He held his hand out, conjuring his gunblade from the air around him. Smoke emitted from his body as he moved forward, and arc of light following his blade as he swung it. The General deflected it skyward, the light disappearing into the enchanted sky.
"I believe it is you that is making the mistake," The General said. He fired several more curses at Fawkes, ready to take him by surprise again. Fawkes stopped moving as the spell flew toward him, the smoke beginning to ebb.
This time, the spells hit Fawkes dead on, yet he did not move or burst into flames as before. There were bright burns noticeably on his chest, yet did not move to show the pain from them. Fawkes did not say anything as he looked down at his chest, before glaring at the General.
"I'm surprised your still standing," The General said. There was a smile upon his face, which only grew as similar spells that he had just cast were fired off. Fawkes, waved his wands forward, as if to clap them. Hermione felt the magic flow around them just as when he sang. By the time the spells had reached him, he had finished bringing his hands together.
Hermione thanked God for Fawkes's gift as half of the spells missed him,only to run into a wall of magic. She knew he was not only fighting for his life now, but theirs as well. "This between you and me," Fawkes said. His breath was slight haggard as he more red welts appeared across his body. "Leave them out of this."
"This is a fight between sides," The General said. "And they have obviously chosen theirs." Another volley of the curses was sent, but this time Fawkes managed to dodge them. The room began to ignite with fire as more spells hit the wall Fawkes had raised.
A moment of fire had passed as the light died down and Fawkes and the General stood at opposite ends of the room. Fawkes's body once more emitted the smoke, yet he held his head higher than before as the General's spells was beginning to wane. Fawkes had sheathed his gunblade as he relaxed his stance.
"It seems that time is on my side," Fawkes said. Hermione held back a smile as she feel the magic rippling off of him.
"That may be," the General said, lowering his wand. He sheathed it as well, staring at Fawkes with his right hand upon his hip. "But there is something to be said about the use of Muggle technology in warfare." Hermione began to say a silent pray as the General drew something from his waist. There was a bolt of thunder that crashed through the hall as Hermione watched Fawkes crumble to the floor.
"NO!" She screamed, pulling the children to her tighter. The others that realized the damage the small revolver had done had stood up as well, almost shocked at the actions. "Please, don't be..." Her voice trailed off as her tears began to fall.
A collective gasp filled the room as Hermione felt her breath disappear. Fawkes had pushed his body up, sitting upon his knees as blood trailed down his chest along the left side.
"I'll be damned," the General said as he aimed his weapon at Fawkes once again.
"Yes," Fawkes said. "You will be." He took the next shot to his leg, still standing as the pressure seemed to mount in the air. "You think a gunshot wound will take me down?"
"I had thought so," the General whispered as he raised the gun to fire again. Fawkes in turn raised his own weapon, the gunblade that Hermione had only seen. He rarely swung it and tonight was the first time she had seen him use it. Two shots were fired as Fawkes swung his gunblade. Hermione felt the world around her slow as she clung to the children tighter.
A blade of light seemed to follow the bullet as it left the chamber of Fawkes's. He took the bullet from the General's chest into his own, on the opposite shoulder where the General had drawn first blood. His body shuddered with a bolt of pain so great Hermione felt it within her own shoulder. Hermione vaguely noticed the General, blocking the bullet, yet the blade of light passing through the shield he had erupted. The General crumpled to the floor, grasping at his heart. A man cast a charm, one the told the caster the state of a patient.
"The winner is Fawkes," a man said. In less than a moment after the declaration, Fawkes fly across the Great Hall to the General's side. Knelling next to him, Fawkes began to rub his hands together, an electric charge snapping the air as he did so. The room grew silent, as Fawkes set to work.
"Clear!" His yell echoed the halls as his hands touched the General's chest. The body leaped in the air as Fawkes seemed to be gathering more electricity. "Clear!" The body jumped again and Fawkes waited, checking his pulse. He leaned back, a small smile on his face as he patted the General's shoulder. "You owe me, you son-of-a-bitch." He fell backward, collapsing in an awkward position as the rest of the hall began to talk in soft, worried voices.
"Will he be?" Hermione asked the Headmaster.
"I do believe that he will need a Healer," Dumbledore said, "And he may take requests." There was a slight twinkle in his eyes as he spoke, proving his words stronger in Hermione's mind.
"Hermione, we'll watch the children," McGonagall said as she and Tonks came over to her side. She gave them a small smile before beginning the task of forcing her way through the crowd. She could make out a group of red heads near Fawkes, as well as Lupin trying to help him sit up.
"Hermione," Lupin said, giving her a sad smile. "You might want to get started soon."
"Why, what can she do?" Ginny asked. Hermione ignored her as she knelt next to Fawkes motionless body. She vanished the bullets, leaving only the holes that had begun to close up on their own, with a bit of the same smoke she had seen earlier coming from his body.
"She can be the one to apply the salve to my aching joints," Fawkes muttered. People shifted away from them as he tried to sit up. "While you get the privelage of cleaning the potions cabinets for that lovely comment of yours."
"Relax, Fawkes," Hermione said. "You either need to get some sleep to rest this off or let me treat you, the choice is yours." Fawkes gave her a smile as he sat up even further.
"If you can help me get to my bed, I'll make sure that I sleep," Fawkes said. He gave her a ragged smile as he spoke. Hermione shook her head, but returned the smile. He hid his pain so well, yet it was not gone.
"Fawkes." The crowd parted to show the General being held up by two of his soldiers. "You fought well."
"And you died," Fawkes said. Hermione held onto Fawkes hand, knowing how close he had come to passing on as well.
"That I did, that I did," the General said with a smile. "Yet you let me live."
"I did," Fawkes said. He cocked his head, much like a bird would as he stared at the General. "You will follow me now?"
"Yes, our services are yours," the General said.
"Good. Good...." His voice trailed off as he laid back down. "Now get the hell out of my castle. Build your own barracks, I don't care what you do, but you have until tomorrow morning, otherwise your services are useless to me."
"Yes Sir," the General saluted him, to which Fawkes gave him his own salute of the bird. The general laughed as he left, and Hermione was grateful that they were gone, at least for now.
"Fawkes, you going to be okay?" Lupin asked him.
"I told you what I needed, so give it to me, and I will be," Fawkes said. "I want everyone to move out as planned. Continue on until your directives change. You, are going to help me get to my little home away from home."
"Me?" Lupin asked, to which Fawkes shook his head.
"No."
"Would you like me to assist you, Fawkes?" McGonagall asked. Again he shook his head. His smile seemed to grow as he squeezed Hermione's hand. She blushed when she realized he was still holding it, and cursed her body because he was old enough to be her grandfather, and that she still felt something strong for him.
"Process of elimination leaves me," Hermione said. He nodded his head slightly, the smile fading lightly. "You'll have to get up on your own. I'm not carrying you there."
"Fawkes," the sound of the dull limp hitting the ground caused his eyes to open as Mad-eye Moody stepped toward the circle. "We have things to discuss."
"Aye, Alastor, that we do," Fawkes said. "Tomorrow."
"Aye, tomorrow," Mad-eye said as he awkwardly knelt and placed the wand next to Fawkes. Mad-eye left through the same hole he had created when he came, the crowd scared by him.
"Oh, I can get there on my own," Fawkes said. "Just hold on for the ride, and there you can do a complete physical."
"How are you going to-" Her sentence was cut short as she felt the tight tug of a portkey yet the squeezing sensation of apparating. "-that?"
They were now in his hut, with him on his bed. "It pays to be a phoenix." He said, though his laughter turned into a violent cough. Hermione used her sleeve to clean away the blood.
"Why did you do that, take those bullets?" Hermione asked, casting a spell over him again. There was a great deal of internal bleeding and bruises, probably from all of those curses he took.
"They would've have passed through the shield I had put up," Fawkes said. "I couldn't take the chance of it hitting someone. Besides, I've got you to fix this problem."
"Well, what made you think I can fix this?" Hermione said, though she just smiled at him. Both of them knew she could, though how he knew was beyond her.
He gave her another smile as he visible relaxed. She had cast a slight slumber spell on him, letting his day end earlier than he had probably had planned. Yet he needed his sleep, despite being a phoenix and all.
"You did well today," Hermione whispered to him as she left. She closed the door softly as she headed toward the castle. Already she could see the men in the army were building a barracks outside. She knew they were men of honor above all else and that their hearts were in the right place. Now at least.
"Where did you take Fawkes?" Mrs. Weasley demanded once Hermione had returned to the Great Hall. Dinner had just started, with the hall returning to what it was. She was going to help the children move up to the Gryffindor tower after dinner, and gave them smiles as she sat down.
"Where he needed to be," Hermione said with a smile. She began to serve herself some food, knowing that she had gotten her angry, but that didn't matter. Not right now.
"He was needed here," Mrs. Weasley said.
"No, he needed rest, and as the Healer for this school, that is what he is getting," Hermione said, not looking at the matriarch.
"Hermione, just tell my mother where she is, all we want to do is help," Ginny said.
"He is safe, that is all that you need to know," Hermione said. "He trusted me."
"Mum, I suggest you leave it as it is," Ron said, sitting down across from Hermione. "Fawkes can take care of himself, and if not, Hermione knows what she is doing. How you feeling?" He began to serve himself a larger portion of the food than she had seen him eat in a long time.
"Pretty good," Hermione said. The fear she had only a week before was still there, but the fight against it was so much stronger, she had no words for it. "I'm just happy."
"Its been quite a while since I saw you smile, I just had to ask," Ron said, returning her smile. "I've been looking through some of the books, and found these enchantments called endowments, you might want to take a look at them. They aren't something I think we can use, but Voldemort might."
"What are they?" Hermione asked, her voice softer as she wanted to conceal her words.
"They almost gifts of certain things, like strength, wisdom, or even speed, from one person to another. That's about all I understand right now," Ron said, with a shrug of his shoulders. "They are done with runes, so I thought you might know something about them."
"There were rumors in a lot of the books I've read about something like that, runes on the flesh," Hermione said. She shook her head, horrified by the lengths someone would go to for their own benefit. The books were said that the runes would leave a person without that gift, not dead, but barely living. The thought chilled her to the bone.
"Hermione," Ron asked, after a moment of silence had lapsed between them.
"Yes Ron?"
"Do you think, that Harry will ever come back?" Ron looked at her, praying for an answer that would lighten his own heart. Hermione felt the tears come to her eyes as he had voiced the fear within them both, a fear they did not want to believe, or acknowledge.
"I don't know, I really don't know," Hermione said. She wiped away the tears, as Ron reached out for her hand, giving her the comfort he could, while still holding up his own walls.
"Of course he will," Ginny interrupted. "I mean, why wouldn't he come back for me?"
"Because you're a selfish whinny little girl," Ron muttered, holding onto still holding onto Hermione's hand. She giggled lightly, the fight growing within her, but stopped under Ginny's glare. The fight was whithering again, though she did not know how it grew stronger, or weakened, she knew she was getting afraid again.
"Ronald, enough of that," Mrs. Weasley scolded him, yet did not say anything to Ginny. Hermione caught the triumphant smile on her face, yet did not know what she was so happy about. Harry wasn't here, what reason was there to be happy?
I0I
The weekend had come quickly, and for Fawkes it was took quick. There was so much work to be done, he was almost begging for the Time-Turner again, just to make sure everything was prepared. He knew there was going to be trouble with his Potions Master, yet it was necessary, he was necessary. The wards were going to be increased on Sunday, and so was the arrival of his Potions Master. He had one more day to get everything set for the hell that would come with him. None of it his fault though.
Fawkes shook his head as he walked the halls of Hogwarts. The school had already begun to gain a bit of normalcy with the help that McGonagall, Flitwick, Moony and Tonks had done. They were slowly making their way through the castle, fixing everything and anything. Hell, even the portraits were returning to their state of annoyance as they were getting fixed. There was still miles of work to be done, yet he could not help but feel a burst of wonder at the fours work.
The army had moved out of the castle, much to his delight and were not beginning to aid in the cleansing of the grounds. While Hermione had rightly noted it was not as effective as his work, there was more important things that needed to be done. Like extending the wards, for example.
The group he had assigned, Neville, Mad-eye, the Twins, and Charlie, had found him several plausible spells, yet none of them could get them as extensive as Fawkes had wanted them. In the end, he had cast the spells, and spent the rest of the day in bed, on Hermione's orders. Not that he needed it after the first hour, but even at the age he was, she still was brilliantly scary.
Now though, he felt an energy within him that he had not felt in a long time. Magic was a part of him, yet it did not dominate his life. If something could be moved by hand, he did. He had worked too long to get his body the way it was; he was not about to let something like magic take it away from him, like magic had taken just about everything else. He had managed to get a work out regime from the army they had, and was working with them in the mornings. Heck, he was even able to drag some of the other guys out there, mainly Ron, Neville and the Twins. They had started working with him midway through the week.
But today, today was something that he loved to do ever since he had become a doctor. Meet the parents, so to speak of course. He knocked on the door, a smile growing on his face.
"Come in," a soft voice said. Fawkes entered with a smile, caring his bag. He had shrunk it in his saddlebags, not knowing if he would need it again, but he was glad he had kept it.
"Why, this must be the happy parents?" Fawkes said, entering into the room. It had the feminine touch of Fleur that he had pictured she would give to any room. Despite the castle walls, Fleur had managed to bring a strong sense of warmth to the room with her decorations. He gave her a smile as she resting on a comfortable love-seat, her hands on her stomach, holding her unborn child. "How are you two doing?"
"Bezidez zore, wonderful now that you two are ere," Fleur said, smiling at him. He returned the smile as he noticed Hermione walk over from talking to Bill.
"Well, I'm just glad that I can help," Fawkes said, placing his bag down on a table. "Hermione, would it be possible if you could run a general diagnostics on Fleur, just for a basic check up?"
"You want me to?" Hermione asked, surprised it seemed. He just smiled as he began to remove some herbs and some of his tools, a stethoscope, thermometer, small reflex hammer, and a old fashioned blood pressure monitor. He had already sterilized his tools and began to prepare the herbs.
"Bill, could you get me a cup of warm water please?" Fawkes asked.
"What for?" Bill asked, but did as he was told. Fawkes placed the herbs into the warm water, letting them soak for a moment as Hermione finished up. The smell began to fill the room, and the questioning looks on the others faces told him enough
"Everything is fine," Hermione said. She and Fleur looked like they were talking about something, which Fawkes guessed was probably the same question that Bill had.
"The tea is meant to help relax you and the child," Fawkes said. "I learned a thing or two while living in some of the 'less civilized' parts of the world." He gave them another smile as he held out the glass of tea. "Its basic orange tea with a splash of ginger and honey. Don't worry, the baby will enjoy it, stimulates both of you a little."
"What are you going to do?" Bill asked.
"Just seeing how the baby is," Fawkes said. "A skill I learned from an Aborgini tribe, that they can determine the health of the baby, just by the movement of it in the mother's stomach."
"Do I need to get undrezzed?" Fleur asked, blushing lightly. Fawkes shook his head, his smile still in place. The interactions of the Weasleys only made his smile larger, realizing the hope about to brought into the world.
"No, but if it would be alright with you, could you please lift your blouse over your stomach?" Fawkes asked, taking the stethoscope. He blew some air onto it, warming it up. "This might still be a little cold." He felt her shiver as he placed the metal head onto her stomach, listening to the tiny heartbeat inside. He looked up at Fleur, questioning, "may I?" She nodded as he placed his hands upon her stomach.
Like a hundred times before, he felt the child move toward the warmth of his hand, kicking Fleur slightly. She giggled and he looked up, smiling before moving his hand across her stomach, the child moving along with him. When he reached the other side, he placed his other hand on the opposite side of her stomach, letting his magic link between the two of them. "Ah." He found a slight problem that shouldn't have been there. Something that would go undetected by anything, including the scrutiny of the spells Hermione had cast.
"Fawkes, what are you doing?" Bill asked as Fawkes's hands began to glow lightly. His magic began to entwine with the child, trying to fix the problem.
"I'm going to need you to sit behind your wife, Bill," Fawkes said, as he began to concentrate on the problem at hand. There was a larger problem at hand.
"Why?" Bill asked, but doing as he was told. Fleur moved forward and Bill moved behind her, letting her rest against him. She looked more comfortable, and calmer with him there now, only adding to Fawkes's fight.
Fawkes raised his gaze, his magic still trying to fix the problem. There was a darkness in a child of innocence that should not be there. He recognized the Veela of Fleur and the human of Bill, yet there was a third part, the looked almost like a curse. He did not know the curse's origin, yet he knew the damage that could be done to her and the child if left unchecked.
"I want you to feel this," Fawkes said. He gave them both a comforting smile, as he felt the curse dimming. There was only so long that a curse could last in the presence of the light. "Fleur place your hands over mine." He began to end his magical battle. "Bill now place your hands over hers, good, good." He said, smiling to them. "Now I'm going to remove my hands, but I don't want you to. I'm slipping mine out so you can hold your child in your magic." With a quick touch to their entwined magic, Fawkes removed his own magic, letting the child draw his way to that of his parents. The smiles on their faces was his answer as to his method. He took at step back, smiling at them.
"Thank you," Fleur said. Tears were welling in her eyes as she spoke and Bill wiped them away. "Is our child going to be okay?"
"More than okay," Fawkes said. "Right now, your child is in the safest possible place in the world." He stood back, as he removed several more herbs from his bag and replaced his tools.
"When is the due date supposed to be, Hermione?" Fawkes asked, closing his bag.
"Within the next month, October 1st," Hermione said.
"We'll meet again, say on the 20th," Fawkes said. "Just for another checkup. Now, drink plenty of tea, did you like the one I had made?" Fleur nodded, still holding onto her stomach and Bill's hands. "Well, I left some more things to make a larger pot for yourself. One equal part of each should do fine, then just add the honey as necessary. If you start to feel an upset stomach, do not drink any more of the tea, it might be too strong. Contact either Hermione or I and we'll find something. Is that okay?" Both of them nodded, more relaxed than they had been when Fawkes had entered.
"If there is anything you need from us, just ask," Bill said, moving to stand up.
"Stay, its okay," Fawkes said, shaking the man's hand. "And I just went off of what the Healer told me." He motioned toward Hermione, causing her to blush.
"I just did what any Healer did," Hermione said, looking away.
"Well, keep it up," Fawkes said. "Have a good day and take care." Fawkes said, shaking Bill's hand once more and kissing Fleur's check. He gave Hermione a smile as he left, knowing she was going to stay a while longer.
He left without another word, banishing his bag back to his hut. He had wanted to head over to the Potions lab that he had set up for Ginny to use. She had begun replenishing the basic healing potions, and did not know of his checking of them. More importantly, he had not found any tampering to the healing potions, however, there was a different potion ingredients missing, enough for a dampening potion.
"Hello, Ginny," Fawkes said as he leaned against the door frame. He smirked as she jumped into the air, nearly spilling the contents of her cauldron. The smell was not that of a healing potion, nor did he wish to believe what he already knew to be true. "How are the potions coming?"
"Well, I'm almost finished with the blood replenishing ones before I start are the Pepper-Up potions," Ginny said, trying to hide the contents of her cauldron from him.
"Really, may I take a look?" Fawkes said. He entered before she could give him a response, standing next to her as he gazed into the black mess that was in the cauldron. "My, my, my, like a spider to a fly. What do we have here?"
"Its nothing, a side project really," Ginny said, trying to push Fawkes away.
"Care to explain to me about it? I mean, I'm not a potion expert, but I know what I assigned you to do, and that's not it," Fawkes said. He was not a liar by nature, by there were times he found his ability to lie proved an asset.
"Like I said, that's just a side project," Ginny said. Her voice was nervous, filled fear from the knowledge of her being caught. It was a natural fear, not the same as the one that had filled Hermione's voice less than a week ago.
"What for?" Fawkes said, putting his hand closer to the potion. He felt the potion drawing his magic from him, almost like it was taking it away.
"My...my mother asked for, said she needed it," Ginny said. He looked over at her, staring into her eyes. There was a lie there, but where? Fawkes nodded, looking into the potion.
"If your mother needed something, you should have checked with me first," Fawkes said. "A responsible Potions Master would have done that." He picked up a tail of a newt and dropped it into cauldron. Immediately is began to change color until it was almost white. "That should make it a base for a household potion."
"Yes, I was just about add that," Ginny said. She was still nervous about something, and at least now he had an idea of where to prevent it at the source.
"Well, see that your mother gets that, and it should fix whatever the problem is," Fawkes said with a smile. He had neutralized whatever the potion's original intent was, but that did not mean she wasn't going to try again. "And please do be careful with our rations, my Potions Master is returning soon, I do not want him to be under prepared." He left her, silently locking the potions cabinet as he went. Not that he used his wand.
He head toward the Great Hall, knowing that dinner was beginning as he walked. He wanted to sit with the children again, like he had the last few nights. It was more than just the atmosphere that they created, they made him feel young again. He laughed aloud, causing many of the portraits to look at him as he walked. Fawkes had never thought him one to be sentimental.
Age does that to you, or is it just hardship?
Fawkes entered the Great Hall without fanfare, knowing that he presence was probably already felt by the children. They had come rushing up to him, begging to hear another story from him. He gave them a smile as he sat down at the table, letting the crowd around him. These were the days that he fought for, and the smile that was Hermione's face as he told them another story was the one he wanted to win.
Yet I am still seventy years her senior.
He let out a sigh as he went back to his meal, sharing the laughter with the children. He did not feel that old, far from it. But reality was not something he could change and the reality of it was that he was reaching his mid-eighties.
"Fawkes?" Angela asked. He gave her a smile, causing her to blush. Sh was no more than eight years old, an orphan like the rest of the children at Hogwarts. "What's hope?"
"Hope, you want to know what hope is......hmmm...." Fawkes said. He lifted her to sit on his knee, gathering the attention of the children. He did not have a good way to describe an abstract idea to them, but he was going to take a shot. "Well, want do you want to be when you grow up?"
"A mommy," Angela said with a giggle and smile. He returned the smile before turning to Nicholas next to him. "And you, what about you?"
"I wanna fly," he said, making the airplane noise as he pretended to fly. One by the one the children all told him what they wanted to be when they "grew up."
"What do you want to be?" Angela asked finally.
"I want to be free," he said with a smile. She gave him a puzzled look as he began to speak again. "We all have our dreams right, to be mothers, doctors, fire fighters, soldiers, fliers and pilots, and a hundred more things that we could ever dream of. Now do you know what dreams feed upon?"
"They eat?" Argus said. The questioning look on his face matched the half dozen around him.
"Of course they do," Fawkes said, smiling. "Now, hope is a basic part of their meal. They need it every day, otherwise the dreams die."
"So, our dreams eat hope?" Angela asked.
"Kinda, see, hope is a part of your, and your hope is what feeds them, giving them new ideas, which is really their food, and the more your hope gives to your dreams, the more you know they will come true."
"So you mean I can become a mommy?" Angela said. There was a brightness in all of their eyes now, one that he knew was not there before. There were murmurs around them all and Fawkes chuckled lightly as he nodded.
"But you do have to eat right, which means finishing what's on your plates and all of the vegetables," Fawkes said, a sternness in his eyes as he spoke. They all made faces at what was on their plates, especially the boys. He chuckled lightly again as he placed Angela back down on the bench, letting her finish her dinner.
"Are you going to eat all of your vegetables?" The voice of an angel said. He turned and smile at Hermione.
"Why, you think I'd say one thing and mean the other?" Fawkes said, acting affronted. He had already eaten most of them, and quickly finished them off.
"Aunt Mi," a chorus of voices cried as Hermione sat down next to him. Normal, he sat down after her, letting the Hall get comfortable first before he entered. Today though, she must have stayed a lot longer with the expecting parents. He raised an eyebrow at the name, causing her to blush.
"They can't say Hermione," she said, turning away from his gaze.
"Well, call me Uncle Fawkes," he said with a laugh. They all nodded, repeating in a loud chorus his name. He finished off the rest of his plate, smiling at the stories he heard being said across the table.
"They need a school teacher," he whispered to Hermione as she ate. "They need to be normal children."
"Who do you suggest? I mean, we're expanding the wards around Hogwarts already," Hermione said. "Do mean to add to the school?" Fawkes shrugged his shoulders. He was planning on adding to the wards anyway, why not make the school bigger, bringing Hogsmeade into the wards.
"Would it be a bad idea?" Fawkes asked.
"No, its just, never been done before," Hermione said, shaking her head. "The magic needed to expand the wards is extraordinary. That's why there were four wizards that lay down the wards in the first place." He nodded his head.
"It was just a thought."
"And a good thought," she said. "But we just don't have the power to do it, otherwise it would have been done by now." He nodded his head, lost in thought. He could do it, well enough of it, but if Hermione, Ron and he did, would that be enough power?"
"But they still need someone to teach them the basics, like reading, writing and arithmetic," Fawkes said.
"Maybe one of the Order will be willing to work with them," Hermione said. "I mean, in our spare time of course."
"There is more than enough spare time to go around," Fawkes said with a laugh. "And I'm not going to force anyone to do this, it's just a thought." He stood up from the, but not before looking at the smile on Hermione's face. "Now children, make sure she eats all of her vegetables, she has a very bad habit of leaving before she's done."
"Yes Uncle Fawkes," another chorus of children said. Hermione glared at him as they all began to watch her, making sure she cleared her plate.
He left with a laugh, heading back to his hut. He had only a little more work on his garden for the day, then he could rest. It was at the garden that he always ended his day, checking the plants and their growth. A relaxing end to the day was a few of the things he had kept from the monastery, from the years that still plagued him.
"Much has been accomplished," Dumbledore said as Fawkes leaned back. He had been on his knees, pulling a few weeds from the garden.
"Yeah, though we still have far to go," Fawkes said. The Headmaster had been disappearing at times, though Fawkes knew where he was going. The draw to the afterlife was stronger now, his time was coming to a close. "You'll be leaving?"
"Soon," Dumbledore said. "Are you ready? Are they ready?" Fawkes looked back at the second question, staring at his mentor.
"No, far from it," Fawkes said. "And that would have to be the scariest thought. That I'm going to be starting something, that I don't know I can finish."
"Such is the price we pay," Dumbledore said. "The men who commit these crimes believe that they are infallible, yet we believe that we know that we will fail."
"Failure is a great motivator," Fawkes said. A moment of silence passed between them as the sunset. These were the times he loved the most, knowing that he could relax and be normal, yet he knew they would end. They always did.
"Albus, do you think I'm doing the right thing?" Fawkes said, standing up from his knees. He wiped them as best as he could, trying to get circulation back into them. "Not telling them who I am, I mean."
"You believe they would not trust you if they knew the truth?" Dumbledore asked. Fawkes nodded, both of them knew the questions were unnecessary, yet Fawkes needed to hear the words
"I ran from who I was and hid, for lack of a better term," Fawkes said with a shrug.
"I believe in time you will learn that your mistake, was not your own, rather a calculation on someone else's part," Dumbledore said. Fawkes stared at Dumbledore as he looked out across the fields of Hogwarts to the lake and his grave.
"Voldemort?" Fawkes asked. Dumbledore shook his head, still looking over the lake.
"No, I believe it was the fault of someone else, someone closer to you, Fawkes," Dumbledore said. There was grave pause, as Fawkes thought over the people who knew that he had the Time Turner.
"It was not you, was it?" Fawkes said. Another grave pause, as Fawkes let his words sink in.
"I'm afraid that the Time Turner that I left had been tampered with, yet there was no way of you knowing that," Dumbledore said. Fawkes stepped in front of the Headmaster, staring into his eyes.
The ghostly visage of the Headmaster was more prominent then ever. The blue glow was dull, and the Headmaster looked as sickly as he did upon his death. Yet it was in the eyes that Fawkes saw the truth. The Headmaster did not tamper with the Time Turner, yet someone close to him, yet closer to Harry had tampered with it.
"Sir, when was the last time that you had used it?" Fawkes asked. They were about the same height, yet he still felt like he was a child again, talking up to the tall Headmaster.
"Your first year here," Dumbledore said. "I had visited some people on the continent, and wished to remain at the school as well. I had used it to my advantage, allowing me to remain there." Fawkes nodded, understanding the need of extra time.
"It seems, Albus, that Quirrel may have done it while you were gone," Fawkes said. "Or anyone else that had access to your office." The silence between said more than their words could, the unspoken agreement that time had placed already between them.
"Do you trust them?"Dumbledore asked. Another pause between them. There were no words that he could find to express want he wanted to say. He looked at Dumbledore and walked away, knowing that there may never be words.
He trusted them, just not as much as he could, or rather should.
-->