Phenoix Rising

Chapter 2

It had been a week since summer break had started. Things had changed, but they quickly settled into routine. Helen told the children that she and Henry had started the process of a divorce shortly after Christmas and had finalized it the day before the children had come home. No particular sadness was felt, as Henry had been so distant it hardly changed anything at all for the divorce to come into effect.

The main change that was made possible because of the divorce was the bright smile that graced Helen's lips one day when she came home, having met a kind gentleman and a plan to see each other again.

On Fridays Severus visited to give Lucy Advanced Potion lessons and Saturdays he again visited to give her DADA lessons, with the use of the Aspen wand which allowed them to successfully avoid the No Underage Magic rule of the Ministry. In July she would start learning occlumency to protect her mind.

It was after a DADA lesson where Lucy had mastered a spell that her father had created himself "Sectumsempra," on a sunny June afternoon that Lucy found all of Susan's gifts from Santa in a pile outside her sister's door.

"Susan." The Valiant Queen spoke, just barely entering the older girl's room.

"What is it Luce?" Susan stood before her mirror, applying mascara.

"Why are all your gifts from Santa in the Hall?" Lucy asked, almost afraid to hear the girl's answer.

"I'm getting rid of them." Susan put away her mascara before grabbing a lipstick tube.

"Why? Is it because they remind you of Narnia?" Lucy quired.

The once Gentle Queen sighed, threw down her lipstick, and turned to face her younger sister. "Narnia doesn't exist Lu, it's about time you realize the truth and forget your silly fantasies. We were never Kings and Queens of a magical land! Magic doesn't exist!"

"Yes it does! Narnia, magic, wizards, witches, fawns, unicorns, mermaids, talking animals, they all are real!" Lucy protested.

"Magic of waving wands, wizards and witches are real, you have magic lessons with your father every week for goodness sake. That  magic is real, but the kind you're talking about is a myth! It is time for you to grow up and stop with all your silly games, you're almost 15 for pity's sake!"

Lucy's voice was cold. "I'm turning 30 on July 15. I have been alive for almost thirty years but have lived almost 15 in this world. I am not a child and Narnia was not and is not one of my silly fantasies or games. I was a Queen in my own right, as were you and Edmund and Peter were Kings. You may choose to day that, that it was all a game, but you know the truth."

Lucy closed the door behind her, creating a physical barrier between them as Susan had already constructed one made of lies created by sorrow and pain that only caused more sorrow and pain. Lucy then began the process of setting the Narnian treasures gifted by Santa into a chest. Music box, perfume, a miniature of Cair Paravel, and Susan's crown. The painting wouldn't fit so Lucy simply draped a sheet over it.

Lucy closed the lid, latched it, and dragged it to the attic's ladder. A simple "wingardium leviosa" carefully and safely delivered the presents into the attic where they would be stored until Susan cam to her senses or would remain there, forgotten.