Little Phoenix (Harry Potter Fanfiction)

44. Voldemort's Return

Hushed whispering met Nic's ears as she woke. Opening her eyes, she saw the figures of Mrs. Weasley, Bill, Ron, Hermione, and Tyriq around her. "Regrettable, but all the same Minerva," Fudge shouted from the hallway. The door banged open as Harry sat up. Nic was unable to, but she did turn her head to look at them.

"Lord Voldemort was giving him instructions, Cornelius," Dumbledore was saying.

"What happened?" Nic asked, her memory failing her.

"You don't remember?" Tyriq asked quietly. "The maze? C-Cedric?" Tears sprung back up in her eyes at the mention of him. "Okay, you can't deal with this right now," Tyriq sighed. "Why don't you take more of the sleeping draught and just get some sleep, okay?"

Their conversation was interrupted as Harry shouted, "Look, I saw Lord Voldemort come back!" Nic instantly went deadly pale. "I saw the Death Eaters! I can give you their names! Lucius Malfoy."

Harry and Fudge went back and forth until Fudge shouted, "You are merely repeating the names of those who were acquitted of being Death Eaters thirteen years ago! You could have found those names in old reports of the trials! For heaven's sake, Dumbledore - the boy was full of some crackpot story at the end of last year too - his tales are getting taller and taller, and you're still swallowing them - the boy can talk to snakes, Dumbledore, and you still think he's trustworthy?!"

"You fool!" McGonagall shouted angrily. "Cedric Diggory!" The name was like a dagger in Nic's heart. "Mr. Crouch! These deaths were not the random work of a lunatic!"

"I see no evidence to the contrary!" Fudge shouted desperately. "It seems to me that you all are determined to start a panic that will destabilize everything we have worked on for these last thirteen years!"

"Voldemort has returned," said Dumbledore quietly. "I will be glad to discuss this further with you if you will step into my office. As for the moment, we are causing Ms. Potter a great deal of distress and I will not see her or Harry go through more tonight!" After a stunned silence, he requested, "If you will kindly wait there while I have a word with the others here." Scoffing, he did so, not before dumping Harry's winnings beside him.

Turning to the others, Dumbledore suggested, "And now, it is time for two of our numbers to recognize each other for what they are. Sirius...if you could resume your usual form."

"Sirius Black!" Mrs. Weasley shrieked.

"Mum, shut up!" Ron cried. "It's okay!"

"Him!" Snape snarled. "What is he doing here!"

"He is here at my invitation and Ms. Potter's request," Dumbledore replied. He rattled off some instructions before telling Sirius to lay low at Lupin's.

"Wait," Nicki said weakly, sitting up. Sirius rushed over to her and wrapped her in his arms carefully as if she might break. "Please don't go, Siri."

"I'll see you soon," he promised. "Until then, remember I'm always with you, little phoenix."

"Siri," she cried as he pulled away. "Please, don't go!" Looking at her with sad eyes, he changed form and ran along and left the room.

"Ms. Potter," Dumbledore said quietly, sitting down beside her. "You've just suffered a great loss and a hard ordeal. I suggest you take another potion and get some sleep." Nic nodded and drank the one he brought her. Once she had downed it, she drifted off into a peaceful, dreamless sleep. The pain in her heart when she was awake was gone and she was calmly resting.