Young Slayer of Hogwarts

It was already dinner time as the thoughts about Phoenix Arts and her relationship with him was always in Severus' mind. She and him were no ordinary acquaintances and that he was sure of. He wondered when they met and how. Why would he send owls to a girl like her? And did he show his own personal Patronus (that he kept a secret) to her? Those thoughts kept roaming his mind as he didn't hear Albus Dumbledore calling to him.

"Severus?" Dumbledore called him one more time. Severus shook his thoughts away and looked over at Dumbledore with a scowl.

"What is it?" He whispered angrily.

"I was telling you that Phoenix will be leaving in two days," Albus told him as Snape looked over at him, baffled.

"Two days? She said she'll be staying for a little while," Snape told him as Dumbledore shook his head.

"A slayer has her duties just like you have yours," Dumbledore smiled as Snape shook his head and left the Great Hall.

He felt frustrated. Who is this girl that makes him change? Who is this girl that he does not remember? What relationship does he have with her? Why... why does he change when he's around her? And there, a hand touches his shoulder. He turns to see Phoenix Arts smiling at him.

"Why do you look frustrated, Snape?" Phoenix asked. Snape suddenly pushes her to the wall and scowls.

"Who are you?! What relationship do I have with you?!" He yelled as his eyes looked into hers. Phoenix sighed as she got out of his grasp. Her back turned towards her back.

"I am Phoenix Arts, a slayer of the 'Fire' clan," she told him and then she looked over at him gently as he turned to look at her. "I saved you once, Severus Snape. It was raining that day, and I slayed an undead that was nearby. I was about to head home but found you. You were crying deeply that you fainted in the rain. I took you into my home. It took some time for you to speak again and for you to stop going crazy. You told me things about your life and such. And of course, it did take some time and energy for that to happen. You told me about your love, Lily Evans. You told me about your childhood. The wrongs that you have done. I was only there just to help you heal. That's all I am to you, Severus Snape. Right now, I am just a mere stranger that is no longer necessary for you to remember." She sighed and then shook her head. "I was thinking of staying for two days, but it seems I will take my leave tomorrow."

She walked away as Snape watched her. He was silent and looked dazed. His hand clenched into a fist. He had no recollection of anything about her in his life. But then again, he felt that it should've been like that in the beginning. Lily was the only girl that could make him feel at peace and no one else.

The next morning, Snape saw Phoenix's door opened. He came inside and saw her nowhere in sight. He went inside and sat on her bed and looked around. He closed his eyes to smell the scent of the outdoors. Was it her scent? He opened his eyes again and was about to leave until he saw a jar and two envelopes on top of it. He went towards it and saw his name on the first envelope and Dumbledore's on the next. He opened his letter as it read:
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Dear Severus Snape,

I am sorry for not bidding farewell to you in person, but I'm not one to say goodbyes anyways. I'm also sorry to have not paid you back for helping me out, but I did give you a gift as a 'thank you' present. There's a jar of paper stars I made for you. You see, rumors say that if you fill it to the brim with paper stars, it can grant you any wish. Hopefully, your wish will come true. Whenever you need me, just find me and I'll be there.

Sincerely,
Phoenix Arts
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Snape looked at the jar and shook his head. He took the jar and placed it on top of his nightstand near his bed. He then walked to the Great Hall, Dumbledore's letter in hand.

It had been one year as Snape lived back in his stressful life. Potter had already gave him the biggest migrane as of yet. He was now lying on his bed and looked up at the ceiling. Somehow, Phoenix's face stayed on his mind, and he started feeling relieved again. He dreamt of Lily and how happy he was. It was a beautiful dream. A dream that he didn't want to wake up from.

He woke up as a knock came to his door. He opened it to see Dumbledore, a grave look on his face. Snape knew something bad had happened.

"Phoenix Arts..." Dumbledore said quietly as Snape's eyes widened.

"What happened to her?" Snape asked.

"She's... we need to go to her," Dumbledore said as Snape knew that they had to apparate.

"Lead the way," Snape told him as Dumbledore nodded.

They were in a forest, but Phoenix was just fine since she was sitting near a stream. She turned to find Snape and Dumbledore suddenly there. Snape was confused. He thought that Phoenix was injured... or dying, but it seemed that he was wrong. He didn't know what Dumbledore was planning.

"Why are you two here? How did you find me?" She asked as Dumbledore looked over at her.

"I need you to come to Hogwarts. We need your help," Dumbledore told her as Phoenix looked at him questioningly.

"What is this danger?" She asked as Dumbledore sighed.

"It seems that your brother found out that you were taken and wants you back," he told him as then Phoenix suddenly aimed her weapon at Dumbledore.

"Who are you? Where's the real Dumbledore?!" Phoenix asked while looking over at Snape. "Snape come over here. Now!"

Snape looked confused but went to her side. He didn't know what was going on, but then Dumbledore made a cackled laugh. His eyes widened when Dumbledore was on the ground and a man came out of him.

"Such sharp eyes, my dearest sister," the man told her as she gasped.

"Ash?" She questioned.

"Yes, it is I. I wanted these idiots to keep you for a while so I could pick you up. But I found out, they let you leave. I even became that ghost to trick them. So that when I visited you in that ghost form, you wouldn't suspect me to be me. I should've known to get you as soon as my messenger saw that you reverted back to your normal self," he said as Snape's eyes widened. How powerful can this human be?

"Ash, your obssession of me needs to stop. You need to stop this now," Phoenix told him as Ash immediately was in front of her and putting her weapon down.

"My dear sister, it isn't an obssession. It's love. I love you, Phoenix," Ash told her as his hand snaked around her waist as his face was too close to Phoenix. "And you will become my wife."

"Not over my dead body," she told him and pushed him away. Her weapon aiming at him.

"You wouldn't hurt me, Phoenix. I know you wouldn't," he whispered to her after he came close to her suddenly.

Snape couldn't watch this anymore as he aimed his wand at Ash.

"But I can! Petrificus Totalus!" He yelled as Ash immediately looked frozen. Phoenix came towards Snape. Her eyes full of tears.

"He's not dead just petrified for a while," Snape told her as Phoenix shook her head.

"I know that, but this will not end if either one of us dies," she told him as Snape looked over to her.

"What do you..." He paused when she spoke up.

"Kill me, Severus Snape," she said as Ash's eyes widened. Fear erupted in his eyes and his breathing became faster.

"I will not do it," he told her coldly. She looked up at him and sighed.

"Then I will find my death," she said and then looked over at Ash. "Ash, I cannot kill you, but my death will only stop you if only I die." She said and then started to walk.

"Stop right there, Arts!" Snape yelled and pulled her by the arm.

"Leave me be, Severus Snape." She yanked her arm back and continued to walk. "Get ready to find my body, Ash."

"No," Ash suddenly yelled with such intensity as Snape turned back to see a dark fog surrounding the man. A demon was coming out of his body. "Get out of me demon!"

The demon chuckled as he got out of his body as Ash fell to the floor. Ash glared at the demon. He then looked over at Phoenix.

"I'm sorry, Phoenix. I didn't mean to-" Ash started but Phoenix smiled and nodded at him. Her weapon at hand as she rushed and slashed the demon with her staff but it stopped her.

"You think you can stop me?" The demon chuckled as Phoenix smiled.

"I can do more than slash with my weapon, demon," Phoenix told him as her fist glowed red and she punched him in the stomach. "I know your weakness." The demon's eyes widened and it turned into a fog. Phoenix fell over and started breathing heavily. Ash and Snape ran over to her, worried faces plastered on their faces.

"Sister, are you okay?" Ash asked as Phoenix nodded.

"Just used my inner energy instead of my weapon. It takes more energy that way," she told him. Ash smiled and nodded.

Ash looked over at Snape. Snape looked over at Ash.

"Why did that demon wanted me to come along?" Snape asked Ash as Ash looked some place else.

"Because... I was envious of you. When you came to our house, my sister took care of you. I wanted her to treat me like that too. The demon controlled my obssession, my anger, and my envy. It wants me to destroy everything in front of me and make me become one with it. He wanted me to take you with me, so that I could destroy you and gain more power for him by eating your body and Phoenix's. I even ate a boy, now that I think about it," Ash explained as he shivered at the thought of the boy.

Dumbledore shifted and then sat up immediately. He looked around and looked confused. He then saw Ash, Snape, and Phoenix.

"What's happened? How did I get here?" Dumbledore asked as Phoenix chuckled. The three men looked at her.

"First time I see you look too confused, Albus Dumbledore," she told them and the men just smiled.