[I made a few small changes to the end of the last chapter and added some content. If you read it last night, sorry for the trouble, but please go back and refresh, or this chapter might not quite make sense.]
When the Four Founders built the school, they probably never imagined the Headmaster's Office would face a disaster a thousand years later. They had even put it in a little tower high above the rest of the castle.
Now smoke and dust filled the office, and rubble covered the floor. A Confringo spell that had yet to burn itself out zipped around the room like a tiny firework, bouncing off a wall only to shoot away in another direction.
Fawkes, who had been dozing on his gilded perch, shrieked and took flight, his long tail feathers sweeping through the air.
The portraits on the walls stopped pretending to sleep. Their eyes widened as they all began talking at once.
Phineas Black was the loudest of them all.
"Expel her! She must be expelled! Bombarding the Headmaster's Office! Never in my life, not even since I became a painting on a wall, have I seen such a reckless student!"
He was so worked up that he sprayed spittle as he spoke. The sight of Eliana's red-and-black uniform only made him louder. "I've always said Gryffindors are nothing but troublemaking little wretches!"
Snape looked inclined to agree.
The old wretch with the long white beard gave him a disapproving look. "Oh, Phineas..."
Dazed on the floor, Eliana fumbled unconsciously with her wand. The little firework ricocheting around the office promptly shot toward the wall.
"Merlin's beard!"
Headmaster Black yelped and darted into someone else's frame.
"Come now, Phineas." Dumbledore waved a hand, making the little firework vanish. "She's only a child," he said with a wry smile.
With the commotion finally over, Fawkes fluttered down in front of Eliana and tilted his head at her defiantly.
What a huge turkey.
Still groggy, Eliana instinctively reached out to grab him.
Fawkes shrieked and shot straight up. A few fiery red feathers drifted down in his wake.
Eliana promptly stuffed them into her pocket.
"Just look at her. Such a warmhearted, kind, adorable child, and so little trouble she causes."
Snape delivered the line again in a slow, theatrical drawl.
He put his wand away at his leisure. He even found a chair and sat down to enjoy the chaos.
He had to admit, watching Eliana wreak havoc on someone else was rather entertaining, so long as he wasn't the one suffering for it.
And when that someone was Dumbledore, it was even better.
If the two menaces could take care of each other, all the better. He hardly dared imagine how wonderful that would be.
Eliana had tumbled into the office amid a shower of broken glass. Still dazed, she heard someone praising her.
Countless little stars were still holding hands and spinning before her eyes, but her ears had already perked up.
"Who's praising me?"
She raised her head groggily.
"See how eager she is? Even in this state, she still joins the conversation." Arms folded, Snape sighed with theatrical admiration. "No wonder you're the headmaster. What a keen eye for talent."
The world finally stopped spinning around Eliana, and she spotted Snape sitting in front of her, praising her.
Hee-hee.
Delighted, she rummaged through her pocket. Passing over the round coins, she pulled out the feathers she'd just picked up and wriggled across the floor to offer them to him.
"Thank you for the compliment, Professor! These are for you. I just met a magical turkey—" Fawkes, back on his perch, gave an offended cry. Eliana didn't notice. "I thought you might be able to use them when you brew Potions, so I picked up a couple."
Fawkes cried out again.
Snape, who had been thoroughly enjoying himself at Dumbledore's expense, froze. What?
Why give them to me now? You're making it look as though I ordered you to bombard the Headmaster's Office and pluck that bird!
I let my guard down. I should have known better than to trust Ritchie. She can find ways to drag you into trouble that you'd never dream up in a million years.
Expressionless, Snape pocketed Fawkes's feathers. Phoenix feathers were rare materials, and he never turned down precious Potions ingredients.
Why shouldn't I take them? After all the messes I've cleaned up for Eliana and Dumbledore, I've earned them.
Fawkes, whose rear feathers had been plucked over the heads of both men, let out yet another indignant cry.
Dumbledore rose, smiling at Snape. "I think little Ellie is quite fond of you."
Snape's face was perfectly calm. Deathly calm.
Only then did Eliana realize where she was.
Oh no. She'd blown up the Headmaster's Office!
How much would she have to pay for this?
She got shakily to her feet and forced a smile uglier than a grimace. "I'm s-sorry, Headmaster. I didn't mean to. I was practicing on my broomstick because it's on the final exam, and I lost control..."
"Relax, child. It's a shame I can't award Gryffindor five points for your love of learning."
Dumbledore winked at her playfully. Beside him, Snape gave a loud snort through his prominent nose.
Eliana lowered her head obediently and stole a careful look at the kindly old man through her lashes.
He really doesn't seem angry.
Eliana, who had been peeking at him so cautiously, began to relax.
I was wrong.jpg
You're not angry?
Hee-hee, then I wasn't wrong after all.jpg
"Headmaster, your firebird is beautiful."
She grinned at him.
Fawkes stood on his perch, glaring sideways at them—especially Eliana—while his beak kept clicking. At last, he could bear no more.
With an angry cry, he spread his wings and dived at Eliana, sharp beak first, like a fiery red meteor.
A piercing scream rang through the Hogwarts Headmaster's Office, shaking loose the last shard of glass from the window frame. Anyone who heard it might have thought the headmaster had brought back the previous century's punishment of whipping.
Eliana missed the major breakthrough when Harry and the others found Nicolas Flamel on a Chocolate Frog card Neville had given them. She also missed Gryffindor's final match against Hufflepuff the next day.
Fawkes had pecked a hole in her butt. Whatever magic lay in a phoenix's beak, it forced her to spend two whole days recovering in the Hospital Wing.
That firebird is way too petty, Eliana thought.
"It all happened so suddenly. I've never seen Fawkes that angry before."
So said Dumbledore, the bird's owner.
"I suppose that bird is good for something besides delivering messages."
Snape sounded delighted.
Before you continue