Common Phoenix

The **Common Phoenix** (***Phoenix Flammiferus***) is a phoenid magical bird.

## Description

### Physical Description

The Common Phoenix is a long-necked bird about the size of a swan, with large exuberant feathertails, a crest and a curved beak. The crest is longer in the male. The Phoenix's whole body from beak to tail is colored a firy gold (though young Phoenixes may have some blue feathers and scales which they will lose after their first Burning Day).

### Behaviour

#### Food

Common Phoenixes are herbivores who are content with eating little, though they naturally favour magical plants over mundane and have an innate ability to discern poisonous plants from edible ones. If they find themselves unable to digest plants, however, they will regurgitate small pellets which possess magical abilities and may contain gemstones.

#### Mating

Phoenixes do not always find a mate, but when they do, they bond to them for life and look out for each other. This form of love is the reason Phoenixes are used as symbols for everlasting love of marriage in some cultures.

#### Relationship with Humans and Human Concepts

The Common Phoenix is known for its great intelligence and its sense of good and evil. The Common Phoenix is therefore attracted to virtuous individuals, and will scorn any cowardly or sadistic beings who attempt to approach it. A Phoenix' intelligence and wisdom is believed to grow with each Burning Day, with the oldest specimen being arguably sapient.

### Magical Abilities

#### Burning Days and Immortality

Aside from their intelligence, Common Phoenixes are known for their immortality, which they only share with Eagle Phoenixes. When reaching the state where they would normally die of old age, Phoenixes burst into magical flames which consume them; a new chick will then emerge from the ashes, retaining the Phoenix's memories. These events are somewhat cyclic and are known as Burning Days. A Burning Day will also preserve a Phoenix from any injury, and its teleporting abilities (see *Phoenix Travel* further down) allow it to flee most kinds of danger that would destroy it beyond repair. Because of this, only Fiendfyre can truly kill a Phoenix for good.

#### Phoenix Song

Phoenixes' song is "one of the most beautiful sounds to be heard on Earth". Intensely magical, a Phoenix's song can transfer the Phoenix's emotions to all listeners, on top of being musically very beautiful. Most Phoenix Songs are soothing and envigorating. When sad, however, the Phoenix will emit a special song, the Phoenix Lament, positively heartwrenching.

#### Phoenix Travel

Phoenixes are capable of bursting into flames and reappearing instantly in another location. There are no known limits to the range of Phoenix Travel, nor to the load they can carry along (which includes human passengers, who will emerge unharmed from the experience). It is impossible to block using wizard magic.

#### Phoenix Tears

Phoenixes' tears, which are only shed over truly tragic situations, have unsurpassed healing powers. Most notably, they are even capable of neutralizing Basilisk Venom.

## History

### Ancient Times

Common Phoenixes have existed for as long as wizards have been there to record their presence, ruling out their being a wizard-engineered species. How far back they date is unknown, as, being immortal, Phoenixes left no dead remains to be studied and dated. They were worshipped throughout Africa, and most especially in Egypt.

### Middle-Ages

Legend has it that the first domesticated Phoenix was called Amon and was a pet to British wizard Adalbert Lovegood, in the 11th century.

### Twentieth Century

In 1937, the notorious British wizard Albus Dumbledore was able to tame an unspeakably ancient wild Common Phoenix by the name of Fawkes. Fawkes became Dumbledore's familiar throughout his life, and returned to the wild upon Dumbledore's death in 1997. In-between, Fawkes had been able to help Dumbledore in defeating dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald in 1945, as well as saving Harry Potter from Salazar Slytherin's Basilisk.

At some point in the mid-20th century, the *Moutohora Macaws*, a New-Zealand Quidditch team, found a Phoenix egg on one of their outings. They took it back home with the intent to sell it, only to have it hatch as soon as they'd reached their quarters. As the chick had developped an instant bond with them, they decided not to part with it and kept the Phoenix, now called Sparky, as their team mascot.

## List of Known Common Phoenixes

* Amon
* Fawkes
* Sparky

## Ministry Classification

Common Phoenixes are classified by the British Ministry of Magic as Beasts of **XXXX** threat level.

## Canon

* ***Phoenix*** **on the Harry Potter Wiki**