Rising From the Ashes

On the Run

   Hermione Granger was on the run.

   She’d had to separate from her friends, Harry Potter and Ronald (Ron) Weasley in order to protect them. She knew she wouldn’t be able to keep running for much longer. She was exhausted, her entire body hurt and she was running out of ideas. 

   She was currently hiding in a little cave just barely big enough for her to fit in. She had enough room to lay down and rest and to have a little campfire if she wanted to. The mouth of the cave wasn’t visible unless you were right next to it and with all the protection charms she had on it, it was very unlikely that anyone would be able to find her unless she wanted them to. 

   She cast a warming charm and decided to try to sleep for an hour before trying to work out a way into Hogwarts without anyone noticing her. She needed to get to the basilisk in the chamber underneath Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom. Hermione just hadn’t been able to work it out yet. 

   Slowly, knowing that she would be alerted if anything entered the area around her cave within a one-mile radius, Hermione drifted off into an uneasy sleep. Half an hour later she awoke, startled wide awake, her wand in hand pointed towards the opening of the tiny cave. 

   'What had awoken her?' Hermione wondered. 

   She listened intently, trying to hear any sound that didn’t belong in the forest around her. There. She tilted her head. That sounded almost like a… phoenix. But that was impossible. The only phoenix Hermione was aware of had permanently passed away. Fawkes had been Albus Dumbledore’s familiar and when he had died last year Fawkes had as well a few months later.

   Hermione decided to look. She moved quietly, making almost no noise, walking to the mouth of the cave. Flying high in the sky, circling around the rocks making up her current safe space, was a phoenix. 

   She cast a protection spell and one to avoid detection should anyone be around, although her wards should have warned her if there was anyone about, and stepped onto the ledge to watch the rare magical creature. 

   As soon as Hermione stepped out the phoenix flew down to land in front of her, carrying a letter, wand and a rather large package. The phoenix then flew to sit on the shoulder of the startled girl and waited.

   Hermione cautiously cast several spells to determine whether the items were safe for her to touch and open. When they all came back as being safe she began with opening the letter. 

Dear Ms. Granger, 

I hope this letter finds you in at least fairly decent health. I am aware that the fact that you are receiving this letter means that you, along with Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley, are out hunting horcruxes. However, I have since come across a way that we might be able to change this entire war. This phoenix is to deliver all that you will need to you, but only when you are by yourself, Ms. Granger. Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley must not know anything about this. We cannot take the chance that Tom Riddle will come across the information I am entrusting to you, Ms. Granger. 

   Hermione paused in reading the letter for a moment. She glanced around suspiciously. She quickly retreated back into her cave, magically enlarging it so that there was room for the box the phoenix had brought her, along with the phoenix. It was still sitting comfortably on her shoulder. She offered it a bit of one of her protein bars. 

   “I’m sorry, love, I don’t have much else to offer you right now. Just protein bars and water. But I promise to get you some really good treats once I get a chance.”

   The bird nudged her hand gently and took the offered food. Hermione went back to reading her letter, feeling safer now that she wasn’t out in the open.