"I won't pretend to be an expert on the subject in front of a magizoologist as accomplished as you, but I do know a little more than anyone else," Julian said hoarsely.
Newt immediately pulled out a notebook and quill, looking eager to write down whatever Julian was about to tell him, but Julian weakly raised a hand to stop him. Taking a small empty vial from Greed, Julian unsteadily pressed the tip of his wand to his forehead and slowly drew out a glowing silver strand from his mind.
Pulling out a copy of a memory was a simple thing for anyone who practiced occlumency or legilimency, and Newt's eyes widened slightly when he realized Julian was a practitioner of the mind arts. Even so, he said nothing as Julian placed the memory into the vial and sealed it shut. When his soul had fully fused with that of the celestial bird, a few brief fragments of the creature's own memories had survived within him until now. Among them, one particular memory showed the bird's reflection as it flew over a body of water.
It had clearly inherited the size of its thunderbird parent, because judging by the fish visible in the water below, it had been enormous. It possessed two pairs of equally sized wings, and its feathers were an even blend of white, gold, and crimson. Three long tail feathers streamed behind it in flight, and though it was difficult to make out clearly, there seemed to be a crest of pure golden feathers around its neck and likely its head as well.
"I'm sorry I don't have anything more to offer, but I hope this will still be useful to you," Julian said with an apologetic smile as he shakily handed over the vial.
"It seems I will need to trouble Dumbledore for the use of his pensieve before I can say anything with certainty, but you appear trustworthy enough. And if it would not inconvenience you too much, might I examine your wand? I may be able to learn something from the feather inside it," Newt asked awkwardly, since requesting another wizard's wand was considered deeply impolite.
Julian gave a weak chuckle. "I'm not some pureblood prude, so go ahead. Though I would rather you not leave while it's in your hands, for your own safety. It reacts badly whenever it thinks someone means to take it, deliberately or not," Julian warned seriously.
Newt hesitated for only a moment at that caution, but he still accepted the wand from Julian's trembling hand and studied it carefully. A nostalgic look crossed his face as he examined it for several minutes before returning it. Julian had to admit, it felt distinctly strange not having it in his own grasp.
"It would seem that, much like both of its parents, the bird was rather prideful. It actively resisted my attempts to examine it," Newt said, sounding not at all bothered.
Julian shrugged. "It's my wand, and even I barely understand it, so don't feel too bad about it," he said reassuringly.
"I never said I failed to learn anything. Only that the wand tried to stop me," Newt replied with a smile.
"Well, now you've got my attention. Please continue," Julian said, immediately interested in what Newt had managed to discover.
"The first thing you need to understand is that the feather did not come from an adult bird," Newt said seriously, and Julian could only stare at him in stunned silence.
According to Ollivander, ancient wizards who had been far more powerful on average than those of the modern age had all failed to even approach the bird, and yet it had not been an adult despite possessing such power.
"Do not misunderstand me, boy. I am not speaking of physical maturity. In that sense, it was fully grown," Newt said after seeing Julian's expression.
That only left Julian even more confused. How could something be fully mature and still not count as an adult? he wondered, only managing to give himself a headache.
"To explain that properly, I suppose I should first tell you why phoenixes are so very rare despite technically being immortal," Newt said, drawing Julian's full attention again.
"In the rare event that a phoenix pair mates, only a single egg is laid, and the two birds guard it fiercely. After the chick hatches, it grows and matures under the guidance of its parents until the day of its first rebirth arrives. Unfortunately, the odds of a phoenix surviving that first rebirth are extremely low. If it fails, it dies permanently. If it succeeds, then eternity awaits it. That, combined with how rarely phoenixes mate at all, is why so few of those magnificent creatures exist in the world," he explained with a sad expression.