Pawn of Darkness

Phoenix rose with the new light of dawn, Narcissa, who she learned was Lucius's wife and Draco's mother, had shown her to a larger room with a large window. She slipped into one of the long, black robes she had been given and sat up. She had been told the night before to wait until a strange little creature called a house-elf came to take her to breakfast downstairs with the Malfoy family.

Now that she had time to think, she thought hard. Why hadn't her parents shown her magic, if they were a wizard and a witch? She knew she shouldn't be mad at Lucius for bringing her here, where she could learn. And she should be grateful to Riddle for offering to teach her. Narcissa had told her that most magical children went to a public wizarding school - the one she would have attended was Hogwarts - and that they started at age eleven. But because she was so special, she had been offered to begin sooner and become stronger. It seemed like she had to trust all of them, not just because they could give her so much, but because she didn't want to find out what would happen if she didn't.

When the house-elf came, wearing a black tea towel and wearing a long face, she sat up, taking her wand with her in a large pocket in the robe.

The breakfast table was long and vast, but only the three Malfoys were there. Draco and his father were talking before the food was brought out.

"How did Potter escape the Dark Lord, Father? What was it like?"

Lucius Malfoy's face was angry. "I told you, the wands connected, and they were lifted away. Then ghost-things came out and stopped our Lord from chasing Potter. The boy Summoned a Portkey and got away with Diggory's body. You know what happened after better than I do."

"Potter didn't win Gryffindor any extra points this year, Slytherin would have won the cup, but only by 5 points or so."

Phoenix spoke up. "What are Slytherin and Gryffindor?" she asked.

Narcissa, who had looked slightly uncomfortable, answered. "Hogwarts Houses. The groups the students are in. Slytherin, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Gryffindor."

* * * * *

Phoenix was escorted by a house-elf to a large room where Riddle was waiting. It was dimly lit, and his eyes burned, a cold, icy fire, in the darkness.

He pulled out his wand, and indicated she should do the same. "I will not be teaching you like you learn at a school," he told her, "You shall be instructed on only the practical spells and incantations. We will pass the more basic charms, and proceed to what will help you." Help me do what? Phoenix wondered, but she stayed quiet. "These books contain jinxes, hexes, and counter-jinxes."

Phoenix watched, amazed, as a snake slithered up to her ankles. It stayed still as Riddle demonstrated the curses on it. She sat quietly, itching to try, until the snake slithered away.

* * * * *

The weeks went by, Phoenix learned a vast array of magic. She particularly enjoyed Transfiguration, which was simple to her. Charming things was nice too; some things were extremely interesting to do. was the curses she didn't like, especially the three she had been told were important, the Crutacius Curse, the Imperius Curse, and the Killing Curse, which was horrifying to watch. She had seen Riddle's face light up with cruel glee as he performed these, it was positively awful. When he was particularly angry, he sometimes used the Cruciatius Curse on Phoenix. She could use the Imperius Curse well, and was able to throw it off always when anyone but Riddle did it. He took her a while to get rid of, and she always did - normally after he forced her to do something awful to herself.

* * * * *

When June had passed, she knew as many spells as anyone in the rest of the world did. It was then that she was summoned into the huge hall of the manor. Masked men were standing in the room, Phoenix knew these were Riddle's Death Eaters. They were all respectfully standing to one side. Phoenix looked around uncomfortably, she hated seeing these grim people in their masks.

"Ah, Phoenix," Riddle said, "I have a little favor to ask of you."

Phoenix nodded, unsure of how to respond. She stood in an almost at-attention pose, face down turned and biting her lip. She had an acute wariness of Riddle after the Crutacius Curse examples. What could he want of her?

"There is someone I need you to bring to me, a boy. His name is Harry Potter, and he currently attends Hogwarts. There is a little... something I need to discuss with him, but he won't come on his own.

"What I need you to do is to return to your parents, who will listen to a little lie you will be explained later. You will pretend to know no magic at all, take your supplies, and go to Hogwarts as a normal child. Watch that you do not reveal all that you know, or they might become suspicious of where you learned it all. You must not tell them that."

"And while you are at Hogwarts, you will bring the boy to me. His will be a sixth year as you attend, he has black hair and glasses, with a lighting bolt scar on his forehead. To be able to be with him at all times, you must get into Gryffindor house. I cannot help you there, you will have to use a Confundus Charm on it, without the wand, to bewitch it into Sorting you into Gryffindor."

"Wait a while before making your move. You will be given an Invisibility Cloak to hide you in case you need it to get close. Use the Imperius Curse to make Potter follow you, then take him to the village, through a tunnel under a witch's hump on the third floor. To go through tap the hump and say ‘Dissension' and it will open. We received that information from one of my Death Eaters. When in the village, Apparate here, and we will be waiting."

"All - all right, I suppose," Phoenix said. She would have liked to know what Riddle wanted with Potter, but knew questions often aroused his temper, which led him to perform the Crutacius Curse on her, it hurt for ages afterward.

* * * * *



* * * * *

Phoenix was received tearfully at home, in time to receive the owl with the Hogwarts invitation. She resisted the urge to use charms around the house to do things more easily, but her parents would notice, and she had to do things the normal way, the Muggle way. The days smeared toghther until September the First.