Little Phoenix (Harry Potter Fanfiction)

85. Escape and the Beginning of the End of the War

Nic was lying on the ground, pale and thin. Her cheeks had become sunken and her skin was waxy and yellowish. With the last of her strength, Nic changed into her Phoenix form and wobbled through the bars. She managed to fight up the stairs and get to the front door. Once outside, she changed back and apparated. The moment her feet it solid ground, Nic collapsed and felt sand against her face soon followed by a wave of water.  "Nic!" a desperate voice cried, rushing towards her. "Merlin, Ron get Bill! She's in bad shape!"

Lowering his voice, the figure asked, "Nic, can you hear me?"

"Who are you?" Nic whispered, not recognizing the voice.

"Don't, Harry," Bill interrupted, crouching down beside her. "She's been tortured, pretty badly by the looks of it. Don't talk to her now." He scooped her up and carried her inside. She was unconscious with her head laying on Bill's shoulder. Fleur gasped at the sight of her.

"What 'appened?" Fleur whispered fearfully.

"She was tortured," Bill replied, pushing past her. "She needs peace and quiet." Nic was set up in a room by herself and she didn't wake for twelve hours. Harry spent much of that time sitting next to her in silence, wishing he'd been able to grab her before they left.

"Harry?" Nic whispered in a cracked, hoarse voice.

"I'm here," he replied quickly, gripping her hand. "Nic, what happened?"

"It was Bellatrix and Old Voldy," Nic explained, swallowing painfully.

"Are you okay?" Harry asked.

Nic shook her head. "Everything hurts. I can't go through that again."

"I know," Harry replied quietly. "So, listen, we - Ron, Hermione, and I - are leaving tomorrow. Are you going to be okay here?"

"Yeah," Nic replied. "But Harry, where's my bag?"

"I don't know," he admitted. "I think the last time I saw it Bellatrix had it."

Nic nodded painfully. "Can you get Bill for me." Harry nodded and got up.

Heading into the family room, Harry said, "Bill, Nic's awake and she's asking for you." He nodded and got up.

Sitting down on the chair beside her, Bill asked, "How're you feeling?"

"Everything hurts," Nic groaned, not even trying to sit up.

"It'll be a while til you can move around normally," Bill replied. After a pause, he said, "You wanted to see me."

"Tyriq," Nic said. "I saw him." Bill remained quiet, unsure how to respond. "He...I can't tell if he's really with them or not."

"Nic, he helped kill Dumbledore," Bill countered.

"He was hesitating," Nic countered weakly. "He didn't want to."

"Get some rest, okay?" Bill replied, getting up. Nic nodded wearily and closed her eyes. Over the next couple weeks, Nic began slowly getting her movement back. She was still rather sore when she was able to walk down the stairs the first day. It was on this day that Nic sat down with Bill and Fleur.

"I need to head out, tomorrow," Nic stated.

"You're just now on your feet," Bill countered anxiously. "You can't go out on your own!"

"Bill," Nic countered quietly. "Something's coming, I can feel it, and I-I need to be there when it does...I need to get Tyriq out before it's too late."

"Nic, you need to face it," Bill replied curtly. "Tyriq is already lost. When this war is over, he's going to Azkaban."

"He's a member of the Order," Nic retorted angrily, getting to her feet. Realization crossing her face, she muttered, "Wait...I know how to prove it." Next moment she was upstairs and gathering what she had left of her things. Her bag and everything in it was gone. She had only her wand. Taking this, she headed back downstairs.

"Where are you going?" Bill asked as Nic headed for the door.

"To find out if Tyriq is still with us," Nic retorted. Bill began to protest, but Nic pushed past him and apparated. Instantly she appeared at the top of the Astronomy Tower. Looking out into the dark night, Nic pressed her thumb into the phoenix ring. The other Order members had ditched their rings, finding other means of communicating, but Nic still held onto hers and she hoped that Tyriq still had his. The sound of a door opening reached her ears about an hour later.

Nic tensed as footsteps approached. Without turning, Nic admitted, "I've been trying to figure out if you're friend or foe for a long time." At last she faced him. "But you're still here and you didn't attack me even though my back was to you. So tell me this, Tyriq, where do your loyalties lie?"

"With doing what's right," he replied hoarsely. Stepping forward, he said, "But I need to know who you are."

"Need?" Nic repeated. "You could say that you're doing what's right and still follow Old Voldy."

"I thought you trusted me," Ty replied.

"Never said that," Nic retorted, slightly icily. "Why haven't you been making reports to the Order?"

"Why would I?" he scoffed. "Not one of you trust me."

Tears shinning in her eyes, Nic whispered, "Can't you recognize me? Not even my voice?" His brows furrowed in confusion before he suddenly winced and his hand covered his Dark Mark. "Are you being called or is someone calling for him?"

"He was called for," Ty winced, still holding his arm before it stopped. Nic paled.

"Why?" Nic whispered shakily.

"The only reason we were told to call him is if we found you or Potter," Tyriq explained. "Considering you're right here and no one else is, I assume someone found Harry."

"Harry's here," Nic muttered, rushing past him. The moment she reached the ground floor, she was faced with Bellatrix. With a raised brow, Nic smirked, "Round two?" Before they could go on, a stunning spell shot past Nic and hit Bellatrix square in the chest. Turning, Nic sported Tyriq coming out of where he had hidden himself from view. The two ran down into the mass of beings now dueling.

Nic instantly started up against a small figure she spotted. The new Minister of Magic. Her spells bounced and ricocheted around him until suddenly her wand spewed a long rope of fire. It grew and thickened until it was large enough to cover the entire ceiling. Nic whipped the rope around until it wrapped itself around the man, burning him. Another spell came at her and the fire died as she blocked it. Nic was thrown into the ferocity of the fight until she dashed into a corridor to find Harry.

Instead she spotted the pale figure of Draco. Instantly Nic raised her wand at him, distrust etching her eyes. He froze and turned slightly green as he stared at her. He was much thinner than she had ever thought he could be and he had taken on an almost grey complexion. "Draco," Nic said calmly.

"Phoenix," he replied, trying to keep his voice steady.

"So, are you fighting for us or them?" Nic asked, raising an eyebrow. Draco said nothing, only stuttered over some kind of response. Nic saw that he had a few burn marks and seemed to be covered in soot. "I don't have time for this," Nic grumbled, firing a stunning spell at him. Instantly he collapsed and Nic ran out the front. She fought viciously, shooting spell after spell at those that opposed them, knocking down more and more by the minute. She was in a furious duel with one of the Carrows when a loud cackle behind her got her attention. Turning, she spotted Bellatrix.

Before she could go on, no more than five wands pointed at her and next moment, a myriad of spells struck her and all faded to black.