𝐀𝐈𝐌 𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐘𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐘┊ᴴᵃʳʳʸ ᴾᵒᵗᵗᵉʳ

24 ✦ 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑃𝑜𝑙𝑦𝑗𝑢𝑖𝑐𝑒 𝑃𝑜𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛

𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊

Crystal sat on her usual seat in Dumbledore's office. She was looking at the feeble Fawkes, distressed for both him and the situation they were in.

It was the first time Harry was inside Dumbledore's office so he was looking around, scary thoughts going through his mind. His eyes stopped at the Sorting Hat.

Harry hesitated. He cast a wary eye around the sleeping witches and wizards on the walls and then to Crystal who looked deep in thought.

Surely it couldn't hurt if he took the hat down and tried it on again? Just to see . . . just to make sure it had put him in the right House ---

He walked quietly around the desk, lifted the hat from its shelf, and lowered it slowly onto his head.

A few moments later. 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. Crystal was watching him silently ever since he started muttering.

"You're wrong," he said aloud to the still and silent hat. It didn't move. Harry backed away, watching it.

"What're you doing?" said Crystal, leaning an elbow on the arm of the chair with her chin in her palm.

"It's saying that I'd have done well in Slytherin,"

"So?"

"The Slytherin House, Crys! You know what kind of evil --- "

"Just because a few people chose dark, it doesn't mean the whole house should be tagged as the evildoers. You can find bad people in other houses too,"

"But I'm not a Slytherin---"

"Yes, you're not, you're a Gryffindor,"

Then a strange, gagging noise behind Harry made him wheel around.

"He's Fawkes . . . looks so pitiful . . ." said Crystal looking at the decrepit-looking bird.

Its eyes were dull and, even as Crystal and Harry watched, a couple more feathers fell out of its tail. Crystal walked to it and for the first time dared to pat its wings with trembling hands.

"The end is the new beginning," she said softly, Fawkes lower his head as though appreciating the comfort.

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

Crystal stepped away from it, marvelling at the sight in awe as though watching a history being created in front of her.

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.

"Crys! Help him!"

Crystal smiled weakly.

"You --- Why are you smiling?" Harry looked at her scared.

"It's the beginning of new life," said Crystal, "It's sad yet fascinating to witness this with my own eyes. Just watch it begin again."

"What begins?"

"New life,"

Harry was sure Crystal had finally gone crazy.

Fawkes, meanwhile, had become a fireball; it gave one loud shriek and the next second there was nothing but a smouldering pile of ash on the floor.