Eyes of a Phoenix

A/N: ~*~ = POV or Scene Change

( ) or ' ' = Thoughts

~*~

I stared at the picture. Mum and Dad looked as if they were in their fifth year at Hogwarts at the time it was taken. They were smiling and waving. I closed the book, used Mum's wand to shrink it, and stuck it in my pocket. Surely Mrs. Figg wouldn't miss it that much. I continued to search through the box some more and pulled out a long, felt-covered box. I opened it, and gasped once more.

Inside was a small rose, made out of red crystal, complete with white diamond dewdrops on the delicate petals. It was so beautiful. Then I noticed that it was on a long, fine, silver chain. A necklace. Looking on the back, I saw an inscription: 'For my only flower'. I placed it back in the box. I couldn't bear to take it from Mrs. Figg.

Downstairs, I heard Mrs. Figg say, "Arabella? My goodness! What are you doing here?"

A young woman's voice answered, "I've come to pick a few things up from out of the attic, Mother...."

I jumped as I heard someone approaching. The lock rattled, and I heard someone mutter something. The door swung open, revealing a woman in her late twenties with a wand in her hand.

The woman looked equally as shocked as I felt. She walked toward me and asked, "Who are you?"

"T-t-tasha P-p-p-potter, ma'am," I answered nervously.

Her eyes widened. "Potter, you say? Well then," She smiled. "I suppose this is fate. I'm Arabella Figg, Tasha." She held out her hand and I shook it timidly.

"I knew your parents when they were at school." She looked at the box that contained the crystal rose. "They were friends of mine."

"Really?" I asked eagerly. She smiled again and nodded.

"Now, come on, Tasha. You should be downstairs," said Arabella. As I walked toward the door, I looked back in time to see her take the rose from the box and stick it in a bag.

~*~

A few days later, I received a reply from Mr. Weasley. This is what it said:

Dear Ms. Potter,

My family and I received your later just a small while ago. My wife, Molly, immediately began telling me to write back, saying we would come get you, and, well, who was I to argue? Two of my sons, Fred and George, both twins, have included a letter to you, instructing you of what to do. They are the same age as you are and are starting Hogwarts this year also, so they felt they should write to you. I believe they have included details that will answer most of your questions.

Arthur Weasley

PS: I knew your parents when they were alive, and I'm sure they would be very proud to learn that you were accepted into Hogwarts.

Smiling, I placed the letter aside, and pulled out the one from Fred and George. (A/N: This is George and this is Fred)

Dear Tasha, Dear Tash,

Hi! I'm George Weasley! And I'm Fred. That git is my twin

Brother. Don't mind him. Anyway, we're here to tell you what to do. She knows that! Dad told her in his letter! Oh shut up! Anyway, Dad told us to tell you that you should meet us at the Leaky Cauldron at 9 AM on Saturday, August the first. We'll take you into Diagon Alley and help you get all your stuff and such. After that, you'll be coming to stay with us until September first. That is, unless you want to go back to the Muggles. Don't see why you would, really... Fred! Anyway, that's it! See you then!

Fred and George Weasley

PS: Just a fair warning: We have a large family. Come prepared.

Smiling still, I wondered.... What did he mean? 'Come prepared.' Oh well. I guess I'd find out on the first....

I spent the days until August first counting, literally, the minutes. Well, except for one day. However, I still had to ask Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia to take me to London so I could meet the Weasleys.

I went downstairs where my aunt and uncle were sitting, just as a laugh track played on some show they were watching. They both turned their heads to look at me.

"Uh...I need you to do something for me," I said. "I need you to take me to London on the first. To this place." I told them, pointing to a spot on a map I had in my hand.

They looked at the little box that represented the building, and Uncle Vernon said, "Why?"

"Because. I'm meeting some other...uh...people there. They're going to take me to get my school supplies and uh...keep me until September, when I go to school. See?" I showed them the letter from the Weasley twins.

Uncle Vernon scanned over the letter, his face turning more purple by the second. "Fine!" he spat. "We'll take you to your little place. And then you can go to your little school, and stay there!" He then turned back around, pointedly ignoring me.

I sighed, and went back upstairs, plopping down on the small bed in my room.

The door creaked open and there was little Harry, standing at my door in his much-too-large pajamas. "Tash? Can I come in?" he asked.

"Sure, Harry," I said, smiling at his overwhelming cuteness. I scooted over and made a spot for him.

He smiled shyly and hopped up on to my bed. I grabbed him around the waist and pulled him onto my lap, smiling again, this time at his playful giggles. (A/N: I'm just making him unbelievably cute, aren't I? At least, to me he's cute.... He also seems a lot younger than he really is, and Tasha older than she is. I'm not meaning to write this way! Sorry!)

I put my chin on his head and my arms around his shoulders. "Hey Harry?"

He turned his head to look at me. "Yeah, Tasha?"

I sighed. This was going to be hard. "I...have to...go away...in September. To school, you know? And, I was wondering...do you think you'd be okay here without me?"

I could tell he was thinking this over. I could almost see the cogs in his little head. He turned his head back around. "I guess.... I mean, sure. I'd be fine. Where are you going to school?"

I smiled slightly. Harry was obviously not trying to sound like he needed me a lot, so I wouldn't feel sorry for him and miss out on going to this school.

"It's a private school where only the best students in all of Britain go! Maybe you'll get accepted there someday."

He frowned. "I doubt it. I'm not very smart. What's the school like?"

"Hmm... well, I don't know yet. But I'll be sure to tell you!"

"'Kay!" he giggled. "Hey Tasha?"

"Mm-hmm?"

"Can I sleep with you tonight?"

I looked at him. "How come?"

He looked down. "I thought...maybe...if I slept with you, the nightmares would go away." I immediately felt a rush of sadness.

I smiled at him sadly. "Then...sure. You can sleep in here."

He grinned and I pulled him closer, giving him a tight squeeze. "Ah! I can't breathe!" he said.

"You can't breathe, huh? You can't breathe, huh?" I said, and began to tickle him.

"Tasha! Ha, ha! Cut it out- ha, ha!"

That was one of the best days of my wait. Finally, after weeks and weeks, it ended!

Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon drove me to the Leaky Cauldron. Well, they drove me outside the Leaky Cauldron.

They looked at the place I pointed out to them, and they looked at me like I were crazy. That's when I remembered. Of course they'd think I were crazy! They can't see it!

I walked up to the door as they drove away, and I wished I could say goodbye to Harry one more time. But the Muggles had left him at Mrs. Figg's house. I went in and left my stuff by the door.

No one had seemed to notice me come in (which was probably a good thing) so I looked around for the Weasleys. That's when it struck me. How was I supposed to find them? They didn't tell me any specific place to look for them. I decided to just stand in the back and wait. Maybe they would find me.

~*~

"Dad, we forgot to tell her where to find us!"

"Don't be silly, George. We told her to meet us at the Leaky Cauldron," said Dad.

I gave him a Look. "Yes, Dad, I know. But do you know how many people there are in the Leaky Cauldron?"

He gave me a Look right back. "Yes, George, I know. But do you know how many eleven-year-old girls are in the Leaky Cauldron?"

He had me there. "One?" I muttered.

He smiled. "Precisely. Now let's go in and look for her."

We went in the door and looked around. I spotted a red-haired girl standing in a corner and pointed to her.

"Is that her?"

We walked up to her and Dad asked, "Are you Tasha?"

She looked up. "Yes, I am. Are you Mr. Weasley? And Fred and George?"

Dad smiled. "Yes, I am. Well, Ms. Potter, I believe the first thing we should do is take care of your luggage and things."

Tasha grinned. "Okay. My things are by the door. Oh, and when we get to Diagon Alley, we need to go to Gringotts first, if that's okay. I don't have any money with me."

He smiled again. "Sure thing, Tasha." He turned to us and said, "Fred, George, take Tasha's luggage to the car. When you get back, take her to Gringotts. I have some business to take care of." He then walked off out the back door into Diagon Alley.

Fred and I carried her stuff to our blue Ford Anglia, putting the luggage in the trunk and the owl in the backseat, making sure to crack the window just enough for it to breathe.

Fred grinned at me, his younger ("It's just two minutes!") brother. "She's cute, huh?"

I blushed, but hid it from Fred as I put the trunk in the, well, trunk. "I guess."

"You like her, don't you?"

"I barely even know the girl, Fred. How could I like her?"

Fred grinned wider. "Come on, George. You can't keep anything from me. We're twins, bro. I can tell that you like her."

I looked up, finally getting rid of the redness in my face. "Okay, I guess I like her a little. Just a little, mind you."

"Good enough for me. Hey, we'd better go back in. Tasha's waiting for us."

When we went inside, Tasha, with a smile on her face that made me blush again, greeted us. Darn it! What is it about her that makes me do that?

"Okay, Tash," Fred said. "We're off to see the goblins!"

Tasha laughed, and I wished I could be as funny as my brother. I wanted to make Tasha laugh.

"Hey, wait a minute," I said. "How are we supposed to get into Diagon Alley? We don't have our wands yet."

At this, Tasha grinned, making me blush harder. "That's quite all right, George. Or are you Fred? I can't tell."

"I'm George. Why, do you have some sort of plan?"

Tasha looked at the ceiling, thinking. "No. But I have a wand."

We stared at her. "What?!"

She blinked at us. Then she smiled again and said, "Don't worry! It's not my wand. It was...." her face turned sad. "...My mother's...."

She hung her head and I couldn't see her face, but I still knew there were tears in her eyes. I immediately pitied her, but soon learned she wouldn't have it. She looked up, grinning once more.

"Well? What are we waiting for? To Gringotts!" she exclaimed.

We went out the back door and Tasha pulled out her mother's wand. She tapped the brick that let us in and we stepped through the transforming wall of brick.

~*~

I sighed. How good it was to be in Diagon Alley again.

I started toward the building of white marble, stopping only to allow the twins to goggle at the new broom in the Nimbus Series: Nimbus 1900.

I searched my bag for the key.... The key! Where was the key?! I know I had it this morning!

"Fred! George!" I yelled, snapping them out of their daydreams of owning the glorious broom.

"What is it, Tasha?" George (Fred? I think it's George, he seems more the type.) asked, looking concerned.

"I can't find my key!"

They both looked at me, identical expressions of confusion on their faces. Then, realization dawned on one of them. (George? Or is it Fred? Gosh, this is annoying...)

"Your key to your Gringotts vault?" he asked.

I nodded, being on the verge of tears.

"Don't worry!" he said, looking truly concerned for me.

"Yeah!" the other one said. "This happened to our big brother, Charlie. Though I think a dragon ate his key...."

George shot a look at him. "That's beside the point." He turned to me. "They keep spare keys! As long as you can prove that you're Tasha Potter, they'll let you in."

I was perplexed. "How do I prove I'm me?" I thought out loud. I instantaneously (A/N: I love thesauruses!) thought of my scar, but no one knew about that except me.

"I'm not sure.... I think they asked him a lot of questions...." Fred trailed off.

George crossed his arms, then looked down at the ground. "Tasha!"

"Yes, George?"

He bent down and picked something up. "Is this your key?"

I looked at it. It sure was. "Yes! That's it! Oh, thank you, George! You're a lifesaver!" I hugged him and gave him a kiss on the cheek, soon after blushing. Why had I done that?

When we parted, I noticed that his face was as red as his hair, and his twin was grinning ear-to-ear.

We walked into Gringotts and I looked around. I knew it hadn't changed at all, it's just that things seem so much different when you're eleven than they do when you're three.

I walked up to a goblin that was sitting behind a desk. He looked up at me, the natural look of annoyance on his face.

"Can I...help you?" he asked.

"Yes," I said. "I need to go to vault 203, please. And..." I turned to the twins. "I assume you guys already have your money?"

They looked at each other, each with a small hint of sadness. "Yeah."

Another goblin led us to the big doors at the back of the building. We hopped into the cart and down we went! I got curious and looked over the side. George had to grab me to keep me from falling out. However, even though I was safe for the rest of the trip, he didn't let go of me. Strange.

The goblin hopped out of the cart first, then Fred. George climbed out next, and then he extended a hand to help me up, which I gratefully accepted.

He pulled me out of the cart, and I stumbled a bit, almost falling backwards. George saved me from falling, then flashed me a grin, causing me to blush.

I shook it off, then grinned back. "My hero!" I said, pretending to swoon.

He laughed, and the goblin, who had been waiting impatiently the whole time, held his hand out for the key.

I handed it to him and he opened the vault. I wasn't surprised to see all the money, but, judging by the twins' identical gasps, Fred and George were.

"Wow..." George whispered.

"I've never seen so much gold in one place.... Actually, I've never seen so much gold period!" Fred exclaimed.

I felt something was wrong. There was something that I didn't know about them, either that they forgot to tell me, or didn't want to.

I went inside, gathered enough money to buy all my supplies (plus a little extra, for emergencies) into a bag. I left the vault, and the goblin locked it back and handed the key to me. The ride back up was a quiet one, even though George still held on to me as if I were going to fall out the bottom.

As we walked out of the building, I decided to take a chance.

"Okay. I just know something's wrong here. And you're going to tell me what it is," I said, turning around and poking my finger at George's chest.

"Uh...." He looked at his brother for help.

Fred said, "Well, it's just...we didn't expect you to be so...rich.... And well....we're not...exactly.... Oh, I'll just say it. We're poor."

"Oh..." I whispered. "I'm so sorry...."

"Don't be," George said, his voice barely more than a soft whisper.

George and I looked each other in the eyes for a few moments, Fred standing awkwardly off to the side. Finally, as if following some unspoken suggestion, we all three started walking again.

I walked alongside George (who was now joking about something with Fred) my eyes to the ground, deep in thought.

I wasn't looking where I was walking, and that, perhaps, is the reason that walked straight into a small figure, successfully knocking it over.

Snapping back to my senses, I looked to see what it was I ran into. It was a young girl, about my age, with long, silvery blonde hair.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" I said, extending a hand to her. "I wasn't watching where I was going."

She took my hand and I helped her up. She dusted off her skirt, looked up at me, and smiled. "That's quite all right. I should have been paying more attention. My name's Alexandria, but you can call me Alex, Allie, just about anything but Alexandria." She shuddered a little and I laughed.

By this time, Alex (as I had decided to call her) had caught the twin's attention. George was looking at her curiously, but Fred was glaring at something over her shoulder.

Taking no notice of this, I said, "I'm Tasha. These two are Fred and George.... No, wait a minute.... that one's Fred... aren't you? Yes, I see now. Um...yes, well...."

She laughed, her smile reaching all the way into her bright blue eyes and back down again. "So they're twins? Are they your brothers?"

I was surprised. "What? No, they're not. They're just friends of mine. Oh, I see why you're confused. I didn't tell you our last names. Mine's Potter, and they're Weasleys."

Alex's face fell slightly. "W-weasleys, huh?" She glanced over her shoulder.

That's when I took notice of the tall man standing some ways behind her. He had the same silvery blonde hair, but his eyes held none of Alex's laughter.

Standing next to the man was a woman, most likely his wife, and a little boy. They too had blonde hair, though the mother looked as if she had a piece of dung under her nose, and the little boy just looked bored.

"Are they...your family?" I asked Alex, and she nodded.

All of a sudden, Fred's face turned cold and hateful. "You're a...a... Malfoy!"