Headmaster's Office, Hogwarts.
The phoenix is a gentle creature, its song able to enhance the courage of those with pure hearts.
Therefore, anyone who sees a phoenix is undoubtedly a child blessed by fate, at least that's what Elena believed at that moment. The flames extinguished long ago on the phoenix only fueled the stirring courage within her.
"Hello, Fawkes. I'm Elena Kaslana."
Hoot~
The silver-haired maiden nervously cleared her throat, bowing slightly to the phoenix perched on its stand, indicating no ill intent—though she wasn't sure if this etiquette applied to a bird with an eagle's head and wings.
Fawkes blinked its bright eyes, gazing at Elena with curiosity, taking its time to respond.
Just as Elena felt her cheeks might freeze from smiling, Fawkes suddenly bent its beautiful neck covered in red feathers, politely returning the gesture.
"Phew... Thanks to Hagrid, and to Mr. Newt, for their outstanding contributions to understanding magical creatures."
Elena breathed a sigh of relief, cautiously approaching. She gently stroked the phoenix's golden-red feathers, feeling the warmth beneath the soft plumage, the sturdy wings beneath.
Fawkes let out a melodious cry, lazily closing its eyes, seeming to enjoy Elena's gentle touch.
Wizards have long speculated about a mysterious connection between phoenixes and Veela because when angered, pure-blooded Veela can transform into bird-like creatures and hurl fireballs.
"So warm..."
Seeing the golden bird relax and close its eyes, Elena quietly placed her other hand on the phoenix's other side, happily rubbing against the smooth feathers.
Unlike the slightly pungent smell of a plump Scottish hen, the phoenix's scent was like the sunshine on summer-dried bedsheets.
Elena embraced Fawkes, her petite nose sniffing. Almost involuntarily, she murmured softly, "With such large wings, it must taste delightful, no need even to roast..."
As Fawkes dozed off, it suddenly opened its eyes, bending down to look at the silver-haired girl lying on its back, a hint of anthropomorphic confusion flashing in its large eyes.
Next moment, the adorable Elena licked her lips, closed her eyes, and, with a face full of bliss, playfully tried to bite its wing—howl~!
?!
?!
Suddenly, the quiet headmaster's office echoed with a resounding bird cry.
Before Elena could bite, feeling threatened, Fawkes, without hesitation, spread its wings, forcefully pushing the silver-haired girl lying on its back away. Its dormant yet powerful magic swiftly surged.
Snap.
Immediately, a faint sound resonated through the air. The phoenix, once perched on the stand, vanished and reappeared on the large wooden desk at the room's center. Its red feathers bristled around its neck, cautiously eyeing Elena, who had bitten nothing but air.
"Huh? Dumbledore specifically promised me that everything in this room was fair game for me to eat—let's consider this, their forced abduction of me from home to Hogwarts, as an expression of... apologies?"
Empty-handed, Elena pouted in regret. A dangerous gleam of moonlight-like brilliance enveloped her delicate face. She turned to Fawkes and earnestly explained, "Besides, you're a phoenix. I was just curious about the taste, no malice intended."
Hearing Elena's words, Fawkes emitted an angry cry. Its fiery wings spread wide, glaring at the danger before it—an unexpected realization struck Elena. This wasn't a human infant; it was a Veela disguised as a human.
As conflict erupted between the girl and the bird, the portraits of former Hogwarts headmasters, previously dozing with closed eyes, became interested spectators in the headmaster's office showdown.
"In all these years, this is the first time I've seen a student daring to try and bite a phoenix," remarked a portly wizard with a red nose, curiously eyeing Elena, now empty-handed.
"Which house are you from? Slytherin or Gryffindor? Only students from these two houses would be so audacious. Raise your wand, little girl, fight like a wizard."
"Sorry, neither. Dexter Fosco, Headmaster. I won't know which house I belong to until the Sorting Ceremony in a month. Hence, I don't have my own wand yet."
Elena raised her head to look at the nameplate below the portrait, respectfully shaking her head in response.
She had some impressions of this irritable "portrait headmaster," often seen in both movies and books, although she wasn't sure how much wisdom a wizard preserved as a portrait retained. Nevertheless, showing respect wouldn't hurt.
"Perhaps she doesn't even understand what a phoenix is? Muggle-born wizards often create such follies due to ignorance."
At that moment, a disdainful chuckle came from beside her—a slightly chubby, curly-haired wizard glanced at Elena arrogantly.
—Phineas Nigellus Black, one of Hogwarts' most unpopular former headmasters. Her attire hinted at her non-magical origins.
"In fact, I might not be less informed than you."
Elena raised an eyebrow. She wasn't about to get upset over what a portrait said. Besides, she had heard about this stubborn old wizard's bad temper. The silver-haired girl shrugged nonchalantly.
"By the way, I'm not a Muggle, and your 'eternally pure' Black family lineage isn't necessarily superior to mine."
"A lineage purer than the most ancient and noble Black family? Impossible! I've never heard of a surname Kaslana among the sacred twenty-eight wizarding families."
"Ah... who told you I'm from England? Do you narrow-mindedly think that only Britain has pure-blood wizard families? From 12 Grimmauld Place in London, dear Headmaster Phineas."
The silver-haired girl absentmindedly responded, her gaze sweeping around the headmaster's office, seeking something useful to capture the phoenix in front of her. As time passed, her patience dwindled rapidly, replaced by an impulse to attack the phoenix.
Since Phineas was stuck in a portrait, she could easily shut down the conversation with a casual remark and save herself some trouble.
"Could it be that you're from a foreign pure-blood wizard family who once visited the Black family? Silver hair... Elena, seems to be a common name from Germany."
Sure enough, after hearing Elena's response, Phineas began pondering, propping his chin with his hand.
To him, someone who knew the address of the noble Black family's main residence couldn't possibly come from a Muggle-born family.
Ignoring Phineas, Elena took a small step forward. Fawkes, perched on the desk, nervously flapped its wings, its golden beak menacingly aimed at Elena. It seemed that if she took one more step forward, it would peck her without hesitation.
"Wow, so fierce."
The silver-haired girl stuck out her tongue, retreated, and it appeared that Newt Scamander's "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" wasn't entirely accurate. At least the description of the phoenix as "gentle" didn't seem to match.
"Wait, you don't actually intend to eat the phoenix, do you? Give up, it's impossible. Besides whether you can successfully catch a
phoenix or not, the consequences of attempting to harm one—"
Interrupted by the alarm of the enchantment around Hogwarts, Phineas suddenly gasped. Everyone in the room, both wizard and bird, turned their attention to the enchanted map displayed on the desk.
Elena instinctively looked up, curious about the sudden change. She frowned as the map showed a disturbing pattern—a portion of Hogwarts' wards was breached.
"Someone's here, attacking Hogwarts? And on the first day?"
The usually calm and peaceful atmosphere within the castle had been disrupted, a dangerous aura surrounding Hogwarts. Elena instinctively clenched her fists, prepared for any unexpected situation.
As the first assault against Hogwarts in decades unfolded, a question emerged in Elena's mind—would she have to fight for the school she'd just set foot in?