Ta-Da! Here is chapter 1 of the Phoenix Flame. I hope you guys enjoy it and please leave your comments letting me know if I should continue this or not. Picture to the right is of Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen whom I chose to use as Alainea and Renea.

~ Vanessa ~

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I sat upright in bed, the scene of my dream still fresh in my mind.

I still remembered the look in my mother's eyes as she closed the shed door. Tears had been running down her cheeks as she said goodbye to me.

I felt fresh tears run down my face as I experienced the loss of my parents all over again.

I was eight years old at the time they were murdered and whenever I thought of the Dark Lord taking my parents away from me I grew very angry. How could he have been so evil? He took away the only people whom had always been there for me. For that, I was going to make him pay.

I climbed out of bed and walked over to my white vanity set, staring at my reflection in the mirror. My long silky black hair was messy and most likely had many tangles in it and my teal-colored eyes stared back at me like ghosts haunting me.

I heard the door to the conjoint bathroom I shared with my twin cousins open and light shined into my room.

“Dylan? Why are you awake?” My twin cousins appeared in the doorway of my side of the bathroom, the light silhouetting their long flowing coppery hair and bright blue eyes.

“I had a nightmare. . .” Was all I said as I picked up the one thing I had left of my mother's. It was a soft-bristled silver brush with stars and crescent moons etched into the handle. The day after the murder, my uncle took me back to the mansion to collect some of my things and I had swiped the hairbrush from my parents room. I wanted to at least have one memento of them to hold onto.

“Oh, no. You haven't had a nightmare in awhile.” Alainea, the oldest of my twin cousins, walked over beside me and put a hand on my shoulder.

“It was about. . . It was about the night my parents were murdered. . .” I said, frowning sullenly as I thought of that night again.

“It was a miracle that the Death Eaters didn't discover you in the shed.” The other twin, Renea, stated as she walked over to me and leaned casually against the vanity chair.

“I miss them so much. . .” I admitted aloud and I felt tears start to run down my cheeks.

“We all do, Dyl.” My cousins hugged me, trying to sooth and comfort me.

I sat there crying for several long moments, with them comforting me.

“Thank you guys for being here for me. . .” I told them truthfully as I wiped the tears away from my eyes with the sleeve of my silky white and black striped pajamas.

“We are always here when you need us.” Alainea said.

“No matter what, we will always be here for you, cuz.” Renea added.

I smiled widely. Even though I had lost both of my parents, I still had people who cared about me. I learned this the day Uncle Albus brought me to my grandmother's estate so many years ago.

At first, I had started to pull away from my grandmother and aunt and uncle, but then I started to spend more time with my twin cousins. We all three had explored the estate and in the end they had convinced me to spend more time with the only family I had left.

Well, that had been nearly ten years ago. Now, it was the night before the beginning of my sixth year at Hogwarts school for Witchcraft and Wizardry and for some odd reason I felt something big was about to happen.

“What's wrong, Dylan?” My cousins asked when they saw the blank expression on my face.

“I just feel like something big is about to happen. . . It's probably nothing, though. . .” I replied and then walking back over to my bed I said, “We should all go back to bed. We start school tomorrow and you guys don't want to be late catching our train, do you?”

“Hmm. . . She makes a good point.” Renea stated, tapping a finger to her chin.

“Yeah. I am soo not a morning person and if I don't get enough sleep I tend to be very cranky.” Alainea said, walking over towards the bathroom with Renea.

“We'll be just a shout away if you need us.” They told me just before they entered the bathroom and went across to their room.

“Thanks, guys.” I responded and then climbing back under my covers, I said, “Goodnight, Alainea and Renea. I love you guys.”

“Goodnight, cuz. We love you too.” With that, the door to my side of the bathroom was closed. The light to the bathroom was shut off and then I heard my cousins footsteps go across the bathroom floor and I heard the door to their side close as they went into their room.