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Chapter Fifteen- Eclipsis
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Pain.

Indescribable pain rippled through her, penetrating deep in her stone walls and earthy grounds. Cracks were appearing in the foundations of her physical body, slowly splintering the ancient stone. Her heart, the old and aged school of where so many children learned and grew, was decaying.

Decades of mistrust and hate were slowly unwinding the progress of centuries since her fathers and mothers had built her. One by one, the wards protecting her would fall, leaving her vulnerable to the forces of evil-infested darkness prowling behind her had she thought the four Houses of her parents would divide. The fields around the House of Slytherin had been darkening, warping out of character and causing her undue pain.

She could not believe one her lines had been corrupted. The scion of her second father letting the evil of the human heart consume him utterly. her only hope was the lost line of Slytherin would be found in time to reconnect with the other three who now hid among those who slept in the other dormitories.

She only hoped it would be soon.

The four Chambers of the Founders were giving way, their precious treasures threatened with destruction.

The Chamber of Secrets, the home and resting place of Salazar Slytherin, lay beneath the Black Lake, slowly being invaded by the tons of water above. She felt the great snake that had been left behind by her cunning father was dead, its body slowly decomposing under the elements. Even now, she couldn't repair the damage that had caused its death, the wounds adding to her pain.

Warily, she turned to the other Chambers.

Hidden underneath the roots and soil of the Forbidden Forest lay the Chamber of Passion, some of the inner rooms already have given way to weight of the trees above them. The armor of Godric Gryffindor was still intact as well as the main rooms even though they were now isolated from the rest of the castle. She knew the Sword of Gryffindor was safe, currently in the care of the current Headmaster. She felt another tunnel was close in proximity to the main tunnel that lead to the Chamber of Secrets, a few feet of harden earth the only thing separating the Chamber from the tunnel that wound its way to the boundary near the village.

The Chamber of Resolution was one of two that was the most preserved of the four Chambers. Even now, a heavy layering of dust and grim covered everything, the furniture inside having rotten away a long time ago along with the few unprotected blankets and pillows. Underneath the school itself, deep in the ground, it lived up to its blazon, the badger, snug and comfortable in the dark silent earth. The armor worn by Helga Hufflepuff and her personal tomes were safe.

Rowena's personal library was safe, protected from the elements by heavy layering of spells and charms to keep the books, tomes, and scrolls safe. The Chamber of Acumen was the only other Chamber to be almost perfectly preserved, hidden up higher on the mountain towering over the Hogwarts on its northern side. She thought it was appropriate as the mind of her was located in that mountain which was in fact a fortress.

A fortress that had slumbered for over a thousand years and was now beginning to awaken.
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A part of his neck was soothingly warm, a small weight tucked in under his jaw. Shyamal slowly roused himself from the arms of Morpheus, blinking at the red curtains around his bed. The bed covers had been pulled up to his chin, folded back neatly. The last thing he remembered was reading a book on Hogwarts. He let his eyes closed, trying to remember how he got here. Blurry images of the phoenixes flickered through his mind.

Red and black feathers; the moon sliding across the face of the fun, devouring the light; the white and black newborn tumbling free; his mind flowing freer than it had ever been. . .

He shot up in bed, the small weight that had been on his collarbone, tumbling down his chest to land in his lap. Shyamal stared in shock at the white and black fluff ball moving, the newborn phoenix struggling to upright itself after being rudely dislodged from its sleeping place.

Short underdeveloped wings fluttered clumsily as it regained its balance on the soft mattress. The light metallic grey legs moved, trying to free the small black talons from the weave of the white bed sheets.

Shyamal sat there in shock.

It chirped, the small head tilting to look up at him.

Waves of emotion rippled through his mind, of security and trust. He reached out, letting the phoenix climb into the palm of his hand. "Eclipsis." Shyamal whispered, knowing that was the phoenix's name. The baby chirped, fluffing up its down feathers.

Hungry.

Shyamal smiled.
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"Where did you get him?" Damian breathed, the four siblings huddled inside Shyamal's bed. Silencing charms kept their talk prying ears, the curtains pulled around them as Eclipsis was sitting in the middle of the four of them, nibbling on some mashed walnuts and almonds.

"I can't really say, Damian. I was reading a book on trying to find a way to allow the student group to meet when Dumbledore's phoenix-"

"Fawkes." Cosmas stated.

"When Fawkes came and took me to an island. He led me to this tree and at the top was a nest. I was there when Eclipsis came out just as the eclipse came into alignment." Shyamal simply said.

"So you think this phoenix is special?" Hala breathed.

"I don't know. I've only seen two phoenixes in my life." Shyamal looked at all of them sternly. "You can't tell this to anyone. If someone finds out that I have an unbonded and vulnerable baby phoenix, someone will no doubt try to still him."

"You should go to Dumbledore." Damian stated, leaning against one of the posts. "I mean, he probably knows how to take care of one."

Shyamal shook his head. "I have a feeling he would take a great interest in the four of us if I did. The chance of him discovering us would greatly increase. Umbridge is already looking at us to throw us into Azkaban."

"When will he get big enough to fly?"

"Around three weeks, Hala. I checked out a book today that gave some basics on the growth of a phoenix. He won't be able to flash until later on. His first burning will be about in a year, during his first molting."

"This is going to complicate things." Damian locked eyes with Shyamal. "How are you going to exactly hide a magical creature that's going to be as big as a turkey in eight months?"

"I'll find a way." Shyamal gathered Eclipsis into his arms. "I think the best bet would be the owlery under a Glamour charm."

Cosmas laughed. "That seems to be our answer to everything. If you want to hide it, use a Glamour charm!"

Shyamal grinned. "They do work, don't they?" He fingered the necklace under his shirt. "Having Akane and Owain weave the charms into the necklaces was a brilliant move. At least we don't have to keep applying them every few hours."

"I still don't get why I had to get a pink diamond. You should have given that to Hala."

Cosmas tumbled to the floor as the smaller sibling tackled him.
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Snape sneered as the Boy Who Lived collapsed, panting from trying to throw the Potions Master out of his mind.

"You're pathetic, Potter. Do you really think that weak will of yours will overcome the will of the Dark Lord? He will easily be able to read your mind just like the one will read a simple children's book. Get up! I will not waste my time with you on the floor."

Edward dragged himself back to his feet, trying to calm his breathing. He raised his wand as Snape shouted "Legilimens!"

Memories started flickering through his mind. . .

A younger Edward running through Godric's Manor, chasing a big black dog that turned into Sirius Black. . . A two year old zooming around on a toy broom, laughing gleefully. . . The white face of the moon as he saw the werewolves charging toward his younger siblings. . . Harry screaming at him to come back. . .

A bang sounded, Snape flying back to crash into the rack behind him. Edward collapsed to the ground, head falling against the stone. He heard Snape regain his feet.

"I don't think I said you could use your wand, Potter." He didn't answer. He just tried to bury those memories again; Edward couldn't let Snape see the whole memory. "I believe we are done for tonight. Get out of my sight."

Without a single word, Edward got up and shakily walked out of the dungeon, heading back to Gryffindor Tower. The same memory kept popping up in his sessions with Snape. Harry screaming at him to come back even as his twin held the bloodied body of Jonathon in his hands, a whimpering seven year old Evie gripping his arm.

The Occlumency lessons with Snape weren't going so well. Even now, the scar that adorned his chest was throbbing in sync with the one on his arm from his 'invitation' to Voldemort's rebirth. To him, it seemed like Snape was helping Voldemort to enter his mind. No matter how hard he tried, Voldemort was able to gain entry in his dreams.

"Fizzing Whizbees." Edward muttered climbing in the moment the Fat Lady had opened enough for him to get through. Tired and exhausted, he climbed up the fifth year dorms, slipping into his bed without saying a word to Neville or Ron where still awake.

For the past few nights, he kept dreaming of the gloomily light passage, the dream stopping the moment, he came to the closed door. He knew it couldn't be any door in Hogwarts as he knew the place like the back of his hands, thanks to the Map his father had given him.

His mum was adamant that Snape was on their side but he wasn't so sure. The man hated him, glaring at him so often even though his insults and comments were rare. That was his mum's doing when he had complained to her the first week of school in his first year. She had come to talk to Snape and ever since then, the comments only popped up every few days or even weeks. When he had asked Lily why Snape hated him, she had just winced, saying that the relation between his Potions professor and his father was 'complicated'.

Edward punched his pillow.

Like his life didn't have enough complications and problems already.

Why did he have to be the Boy Who Lived?