Disclaimer: JK. Rowlings and Warner Brothers own the characters of the Harry Potter universe. All other characters are created by me - Only JK Rowling has permission to use them as fair trade for use of her characters.

To Dad Uncle Karl

Absent from this world but never forgotten. Love you bye.

Shadows in the Wind.

Written by Taylor Grey of Lady Grey Castles

Chapter Twelve

I could breakaway

Rhea sat on her new dragon hide bed with the cauldron in her lap in the hospital wing. It had been a week and she hadn't transformed at all. She hadn't grown any, or shrunk any. Sturgis would come and see her every chance he got, as did her teachers who were very kind to her and allowed her to take things at her own pace. Hagrid had peaked in her cauldron; she didn't mind if he did, he was the only one who wasn't – well twitchy with her when she made a sudden move. He had said very softly that a little egg like that- well, the little bird might not have much of a chance with out the parent bird, but the best thing to do was try and she was doing everything right by keeping it warm and safe. The egg was something that she would care for- something she would protect, something she – would do because of her failure to be what Ragnok wanted her to be. He hadn't been back since the last time that she transformed, and she doubted that he would ever return or that she would see him unless it was on her break, if, he would want to see her. It wasn't that he loved her any less they had said. It was that he had to come to terms by himself. Hagrid had been telling her about the Thestrils. How most people couldn't see them, or believe in them because it took – well, understanding about death to know about them. She was told her last transformation was only for an hour or so before she got tired. She was so new at this.

Poppy was away from the room, something had come up. Someone had come and they asked to speak with her. She said she would only be gone for a moment Just- a moment long enough.. There were footsteps in the hall outside the hospital wing. Footsteps that she knew -footsteps that she hated as they haunted her dreams echoing off of the walls of the caverns. She slipped her fingers around the handle of the cauldron. The need to protect the egg was overriding her need of self preservation. She knew Poppy had charmed the cauldron so that if she did transform that the egg would be safe under any circumstances - Swallowing she closed her eyes wishing the transformation to happen as the steps got closer and closer- she needed to change, she needed to be something other than a small misshapen child. She needed to be something that would not be afraid to face- death as it came through the door. She felt something- change- something cold took a hold of her as she felt- darkness and heard the door to the infirmary open.

Rhea opened her eyes. She was in the infirmary and it was covered in frost- ever where – except the cauldron that the spell had kept at normal temperature. Fudge stood in the door way gasping – he had returned to the school intent on getting answers from someone, and the school nurse seemed like the most likely person. He had been hearing from other ministry people who had children in the school, namely Malfoy that there was a cursed child at the school who was part goblin and was behind an uprising – That she knew the secret to Gringot's vaults and that the whole wizard population would be affected if she was allowed to stay any longer at the school That the magical being child had done the unthinkable in the wizarding world, She had learned magic- something that was forbidden in the schools bylaws to prevent the magical beings from future uprisings.

Rhea wanted to fly at him- throttle him, kill him- He was coming for the bed- for her. His eyes were wide and searching the room- couldn't he see her? What type of an idiot was he? .

In a rush she knew.

An innocent idiot. One that was used for an unspeakable crime for which he felt was justified and had wiped from his memory as simply as those who swat flies on a summers eve feel no remorse. It was why the goblins could not smell the stench of guilt on him when he walked into Gringot's He felt no guilt, no shame because he didn't know better and she was not the one to tell him otherwise. Not yet. Maybe someone would, but she knew he had his own destiny, and maybe it was better to leave it unchanged until the proper time – when they were stronger, when Voldemort wasn't killing them as warnings to others- maybe they needed him there so that later, they could replace him. She saw him walk to the bed and touch the frozen dragon hide covers that cracked to pieces when he touched them. He focused on the cauldron. Reaching for it his hands passed through where Rhea was sitting, through her body and lifted it up off of the bed that shattered as the cauldron was lifted away. Poppy came in and screamed at him- asked him what he was doing and what he had done. The portraits had disappeared the moment that he had entered to get Albus and Minerva. Albus entered the room and calmed Poppy, and then allowed Cornelius to leave the hospital wing, and the school with the cauldron.

"But Rhea, where is she- how did this happen?" asked Poppy looking at yet another destroyed hospital bed. Albus looked directly at Rhea.

"She is still here- she has – transformed herself yet again.. I am sure that Hagrid will see to her care if this change becomes permanent- given the state, of this (indicating to the frost covering the entire ward) she must have forced the change instead of allowing the change to come naturally. I don't know if she will, change back, or if she should."

Poppy sat down. She pulled out the bar of chocolate and broke it, but placed it on the side of the bed stand. She felt ill and fought back tears.

"Why shouldn't she?" asked Minerva near tears herself. "We could be her family and protect her just as well as Ragnok tried to…"

"You know, if she does, transform back, and would transform again, the debt would come around and she would be forced to , close the debt. Would you ask that on any child? To kill someone because of something that happened years before?"

Minerva stood her ground "I can't believe you. To be so calm at this moment- if she has transformed, where is she?" Albus took Minerva's hand and lead her to the mirror above the wash sink. Standing her to one side he showed her the reflection of dark eyes looking back at her behind a shag of a thick black mane. A curious gold bird pattern was splayed on the chest of the beast with wings folded back and out of the way.

"She has seen too much death to be innocent anymore Minerva" said Poppy, tears running down her cheeks."

"What do we tell Ragnok?" asked Minerva hanging on to Albus's arm for dear life.

"The truth. He can do no more for her. It is out of his hands."

Albus charmed open the windows and nodded to Rhea who took a few steps then leapt into the air unfolding her dark wings lifting her new body upward.

Epilogue :

Minerva walked slowly out on the Quidditch pitch under the players who were practicing. It was a week since Rhea's transformation and according to Hagrid she had not shown any indication of transforming back to herself. Rhea was happy. Ragnok was not. Albus knew that the friendship with Ragnok had been strained, but – he had promised to keep her safe and Ragnok could not argue with that. One of the students on the broom came down to where she was walking and dismounted from his broom. "Professor, may I have a word?" She nodded, seeing it was Sturgis Podmore.

"Yes Mr. Podmore?" she asked curious. He took a sigh and looked down at his feet then looked at her. He was clearly worried but, gathering up his courage he said

"I need to apologize to you Ma'am. I was wrong." She straightened up, not sure where this was going "About?" He drew in a breath pointing upward. "I've been an idiot and jumped to a conclusion. AD loves MM- I found out- it was Amos Diggory loves Moaning Myrtle. Mundungus Fletchertold every one that he put it up there to throw Amos off of his game. I'm so sorry that I jumped to conclusions Ma'am" She nodded, then dismissed him and walked in a daze back up to her office. How could Albus even look at her any more? She sat down and threw open a biscuit tin but couldn't bring herself to eat any. There was a rapid knock on her door; she didn't think when she told them they could enter. When she turned she found herself face to face with the head master that was holding a copy of the daily prophet in his hands.

"Well, the ministry of mysteries has done time experiments on a certain egg that was found in a protective cauldron. They put Rhea's egg under a bell jar and subjected it to a time spell."

Half afraid she looked at the photo, not knowing what she was going to see- the photo moved. An egg, cracked grew into a tiny humming bird, completed its life cycle and then was reborn again.

"In a way, the debt is repaid." He said softly. Minerva put the paper down.

"There is another, debt one for forgiveness, Albus, I – I don't know what to say. Sturgis informed me that Mundungus Fletcher had placed the AD loves MM on the goal. To throw Amos off of his game… and I acted like a school girl, throwing myself at you…"

"Are you saying you don't love me?" She opened her mouth and shook her head

"No, I – I do love you… I have always loved you. Its just- well… I.."

"I love you too Minerva. I always have. And if I remember correctly…" He stepped closer to her and gave her lips a gentle kiss. " I would be honored if you would always be my best friend. I have known since the moment that I met you, that someday I would ask this of you."

"Always?" he nodded. She stepped into his arms as he hugged her softly. "Yes Albus. I would be honored to."

The end…

Authors notes : I want to thank the people who have taken the time to review this story, it's the first one that I started here, but won't be the last.

I also want to thank the people at NASA for giving me the names of some of the characters in this story. Rhea Titan are names of moons of the planet Saturn. Currently the Cassini – Huygens space probe is circling the ringed planet sending back photos and information of a mysterious world that I once saw through a telescope with my best friend Sta on the back hill of the university where we both attended. If some of you made the connection before this, good for you! If you didn't- google the name Cassini / Huygens and enter the web site that has been established. I don't have anything to do with that web site, its just very cool for kids of every age.

Some of you may have seen the dedication to my dad, and my uncle Karl. On Nov 3, 2003 I lost my dad to lung cancer. Less than a year later his younger brother died from complications after surgery. There is an understanding that- is found, when you go through death. You can't begin to know unless you have been there yourself. And you want to blame those who may have not understood or taken the actions that would have made all of the difference in the world. Moving past this- is what gives us strength, and helps us evolve into what we were truly meant to be.

Love you, bye Daddy.

Taylor Grey

Lady Grey Castles.