Warmly dressed from the cold wind, Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked along the dirt road of Hogsmeade. The other Hogwarts students were inside the cozy warmth of the stores and cottages. The three friends had worries that even the cold weather didn't push out of their minds.
"Isn't there anything we can do?" Harry asked as he stared at the ground. "Surely, there just has to be something."
"Dumbledore told us not to interfere." Hermione commented, but her tone betrayed her. She felt the same as Harry.
"But she's our friend." Stated Ron. "She never said much, the quite type really, but still…"
"It was nice having her around." Hermione continued.
The two boys nodded.
"It's not just the Order that's worried about her." Came Harry. "But everyone from Hogwarts has noticed. Even Umbridge. She keeps pestering me about how I know exactly where she is."
"She infuriates me." Responded Hermione.
"She infuriates all of us." Ron corrected.
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Come on. Rhya told herself.
Blood trickled down her spine and various other wounds all over her body. Her dark red hair was unkempt and wild. Scratches and blood marks covered her face, along with a swollen area around her left eye. Arms exposed, red marks lied upon them.
Concentrate. She inhaled, then exhaled.
"Pagos," she whispered. Her heart stopped when she saw a white and blue sharp crystal poke out of the ground. Sweat dripped down her brow. "Pagos!"
There was an ear piercing shatter from the ice contacting with the iron chains. At just the right angle, the ice spiked straight through the chains, unlinking them.
She jolted from the chair, only to fall to the ground. She grunted and gripped her stomach from the coursing pain of dormancy.
Staggering, she found her footing and stood up straight… ish.
She reached out her hand and rested it against the wall for support. Her breathing was quick and raspy and she slowly made her way out of the room.
She wished she could apparate, but that wasn't possible here. Voldemort made sure of it. She would have to make it all the way out of the building.
"She's escaping!" Came a shout form behind her in the hallway.
She cursed under her breath.
She put her right hand out in front of her. "Fotia!" Fire wisped around her and attacked the Death Eater. Whether he defended himself or burned, Rhya didn't know. She hurried around the corner hoping to find an easy way out.
Only, she was greeted by another Death Eater.
"Pagos!" She slashed her left arm upward and ice sprouted from the floor. It pierced the man through the heart as Rhya rushed past him. Paying no attention to her injuries, she broke into a run and stumbled many times, but never fell.
She made it to the main entrance hall and saw giant doors.
"Finally." She whispered and ran toward her freedom.
Five Death Eaters burst from doors near her and attempted to grab her. "Gi!" She yelled and rock from the earth sprung forth and barricaded them.
She heard one yell out the Imperius Curse. Something inside of her told her to stop and let them take care of her. Allow them to tend to her wounds.
I have to apparate. She kept telling herself. Don't listen. Just apparate!
She knew she wasn't allowed to apparate yet, but she tired anyway. And again. And again.
Pain suddenly filled her entire being. She stumbled and convulsed in spasms from the agony.
Get up. Just get up!
But it's the Cruciatus Curse… I can't.
"We've got her." She heard a laugh.
The laugh slowly died. Rhya was getting off the ground. The man yelled, "Crucio!" She toppled over slightly to her side, but caught herself. Blood poured out of her mouth.
"STOP HER." The same man told the other Death Eaters, who stood bemused.
"Apparate." Rhya stated to herself.
She hobbled forward several feet and tried again. She felt him try to Pain Curse again. Crimson seeped out of the corner of her mouth, but she kept going.
"Here." She stated calmly with a smile appearing on her face. Something tugged at her loose and mottled shirt.
She didn't care. She apparated.
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A noise in the trees caught Hermione's attention. She glanced, but didn't see anything.
"Something wrong?" Ron asked.
"Thought I saw a fox." She stated sadly.
"You really sound desperate, you know?"
"Yeah." She looked away and stood beside the boys.
Harry and Ron's eyes widened as Hermione stared at them. "What?"
They pointed behind her. She turned around to find a limping fox. Water filled her eyes as she dropped to her knees to examine the creature. The fox didn't run or act scared. Instead, it collapsed on the ground once Hermione touched its face.
Ron was behind her, "Do you think-"
"It's the same markings!" She yelped with glee. Harry kneeled and glanced around. Making sure no one was around, he wrapped the fox in his Invisibility Cloak. Carefully, he picked her up and hid his arm under his own cloak to not cause suspicion.
"You could use your broom." Ron stated.
"Umbridge has it under lock and key. We'll have to run back." He glanced to the other two. "Quickly."
They ran.
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"Professor!" Harry caught up to Dumbledore in the hallway with Ron and Hermione following closely behind. He bent over to catch his breath.
"Something the matter?" Harry straightened up, and just now noticed Snape beside Dumbledore. He hesitated. "Harry?"
"Uh," he averted back to the headmaster, "we found Rhya."
Something flashed in Dumbledore's eyes. "Where is she?"
Sneakily, Harry opened the Invisibility Cloak from within his own cloak enough to where Rhya was visible. Carefully, he pulled her out from his cloak.
Dumbledore reached out his hands, and Harry handed her over to him.
He studied the disheveled fur of the once beautiful fox. "My, my… what have you been through?"
No one answered.
Without another word, Dumbledore took off to the hospital wing. Snape and the three friends chased after him.
Snape followed closely in step with Dumbledore, stealing a few glances at Rhya's animangus.
"Poppy." Stated the old wizard. The wing was empty spare Madam Pomfrey. She waved her hand over for a bed in the back. Gently, Dumbledore laid her on the bed.
"Now, Poppy, I need you to promise me you won't tell anyone of this animangus' true identity."
"Gossip is not for their well being, Albus, so I do not care for it."
Dumbledore smiled to her, and whispered a spell. A low blue light glowed over the fox's small body and then Rhya was lying on the bed unconscious. Her disheveled fox form didn't do justice for what her natural body appeared like. Hair was mottled and matted. Shirt barely hanging on to her shoulders. Slashes in the material of her shirt and pants. Not to mention the various marks on her arms.
"Oh, my…" Poppy whispered from the sight. "I've never seen marks like these. I don't know if I can cure them completely." She admitted. She quietly walked away to retrieve some potions.
"Severus, please contact Sirius."
"What should I tell him?"
"Tell him," he paused as he stared at Rhya's closed eyes. "That we found his daughter."
"Yes, sir." Snape left the room.