Andaxia performed her spywork in earnest, glad to finally be actively assisting. This would be a challenge, and she relished that. After discussions with Sirius, Remus, and Dumbledore, they had decided the best plan of action was for her to walk to a nearby alley half a block away and Apparate to an abandoned barn fifteen miles south of the meeting place. She could then transform inside the barn and approach the site from there. The trip home would simply follow this procedure in reverse.
Instead of following the plan, though, Andaxia tended to Apparate home several blocks from Grimmauld Place. She liked to think about what she had seen and heard, and she thought better when she walked. Therefore, a longer walk meant more time to think and to put her thoughts in order.
After several weeks, there had been little to report. She had quickly befriended the local horses, who were eager to help. They did not like it when the "Bad-Feeling Ones" were nearby, and they wanted them gone and the land left in peace. They provided her with all the information they gathered from their travels, but she itched to do more.
Andaxia was lounging on the sofa, enjoying another lazy June night. She was in the middle of one of her favorite books – A Tale of Two Cities – when Sirius interrupted her.
"So, Remus tells me you have not been following your part of our plan."
"Excuse me?" she said, affronted.
"You are supposed to be Apparating in Naro Alley, not three blocks away from there! You are putting yourself at unnecessary risk – I should not have to remind you this is not the safest neighborhood. The Muggles who live here are wary and potentially violent. I want you to obey the original agreement."
Annoyed, she said, "Don't tell me what to do. I am careful." He joined her on the sofa. She put the book down and rubbed his shoulder. "I know how to defend myself – the Muggles do not frighten me. And how did Remus know?"
"He has witnessed you Apparating in Stickwauld Place several times on his sojourns around town," Sirius explained.
Andaxia rolled her eyes. "Even the spy gets spied upon," she muttered.
"If anything should happen to you . . ." Sirius trailed off.
"Oh, Sirius!" She hugged him with great affection. "I would not do it if I thought I couldn't handle anything that may happen. But please understand, I need the time to think, to plan, to ponder, away from this place." He remained glum. "Okay, how about a compromise?" She smiled encouragingly. "If I get myself into a situation, I will signal for help immediately, instead of dealing with it myself." A look of distaste crossed her face; she hated asking for help. "And I will cut the walk down by a block – a two-block walk instead of three. Would that put your mind at ease?" He remained quiet. She chewed her lip, waiting for his response.
His shoulders sagged in resignation. "I guess that is acceptable – probably the best offer I will get from you, at any rate." His eyes were sad, but full of understanding. "You are too stubborn for your own good."
She curled up beside him, leaning her head against his chest as he wrapped his arm around her. "My sweet Daxy," he murmured.
She snorted. "Sweet? You have the wrong witch then"
He laughed. Growing sleepy in his warm arms, she suddenly sat upright. "Promise me something, Sirius." She locked her eyes onto his. "If I do signal for help, do not come. Send someone else. I would never stop feeling guilty if something happened to you on account of me."
"Andaxia . . ." he groaned.
She put her finger to his lips, very intent. "Promise me."
They stared at each other for several minutes, two strong wills fighting for dominance. It was Sirius who backed down, eyes breaking the contact. "I promise."
"Thank you," she whispered. "That is the best gift you could ever give me." She brushed a lock of hair away from his face, tracing it down to his chin, which she lifted with a steady hand, forcing him to look directly at her again. "Thank you," she repeated.
Sirius managed a smile and leaned into her, pressing his lips against hers. She returned the kiss, all worries gone for the present.
***************************************************************************************
The next day dawned with clear skies and a light wind. Apparating into the abandoned barn, she quickly transformed into her horse shape. As she exited, she stopped in the doorway and inhaled the sweet June air. Closing her eyes, she felt the breeze stir her mane and tail, and heard the buzz of insects performing their daily tasks. Swiveling her ears, she scanned for the herd of wild horses, finally locating them near the field. Taking another deep breath, she opened her eyes and trotted out into the sunshine.
As she approached the herd, she noticed they were very edgy. The lead mare and the herd stallion cantered to her as soon as she entered their line of sight.
"The Bad-Feeling Ones are here; they have been here all morning," the mare, Blue Sky, whinnied. She was visibly nervous, eyes wide and darting, her nostrils flared.
The stallion, Tall Grass, murmured, "We have stood ground and watched them, but since you have arrived, we must seek safer pasture."
"I understand. What have they been up to?"
Tall Grass snorted. "They talk and talk. There are three of the Bad-Feeling Ones, and a strange one we have decided to call the Very Bad One. It is because of him we are afraid to go any closer."
Blue Sky danced in a circle. "Be careful, Symphony, they are planning something. A pivot point in time is approaching – it is nearing the time for great and terrible events."
Andaxia nodded. She had learned to listen to them; as animals, they were much closer to nature than humans – they could sense the more primitive aspects of life.
"Thank you both. I will be cautious. Now please take your herd away – you have all done good work."
Blue Sky and Tall Grass nuzzled her in friendship, then silently called to the herd to move out. Walking quietly so as not to alert the Bad-Feeling Ones they were all leaving save one, they acknowledged Andaxia as they passed. Like ghosts, they disappeared into the mists and she was alone.
Steeling herself, she turned and headed in the opposite direction, toward the field. Upon reaching it, she noticed a group of four humans in black robes, standing in a small circle and discussing a plot of some kind. This location was not very far from the Malfoy Manor, so she was not surprised to see the tall man with the long blonde hair and ever-present smirk – Draco's father, Lucius Malfoy. She also noticed a thin woman that probably used to be beautiful when young, but was no longer. She had black hair and a manic gleam in her eyes. Andaxia sorted through her information, trying to remember which one she was – aha! This was Bellatrix Lestrange, a relative of Sirius'. Andaxia's gaze slid to the third person, whom she immediately recognized. Angrily, she glared at this fat, cowardly, sniveling man who was the reason her family was dead – Peter Pettigrew. Without thinking, she snorted loudly in hate.
At the sound, the fourth man, whom she couldn't see before because his back was toward her, turned. Red eyes met her dark grey ones, locking them with a powerful gaze. Her heart went cold as she recognized the face she had seen in her nightmares for years – Voldemort. The other three had stopped talking and were watching the encounter.
"What a brave little horsie we have here," Voldemort sneered. "What could you possibly be thinking of, intruding on a group of humans?" Berating herself for her carelessness, she braced herself. "Legilimens!" Voldemort uttered.
She felt a stream of raw power enter her mind, searching for answers. She replied in kind, giving him only visions of running with the herd, green grass, rolling in the mud, and swatting flies. His power pressed in on her – she stamped a hoof in pain. "Why are you here?" she mentally screamed back at him. "Why have the birds flown away? This is good pasture and I wish to graze here," she rambled in her head. Finally, after what seemed an eternity, she felt him leave.
Lucius was eyeing her greedily. "So what did our little friend have to say?"
Voldemort sneered coldly. "She wishes to stay and eat. Evidently, this is some of the finest grass around, and we have intruded."
The others laughed, a sound that made her heart shiver. "What a fine addition she would make to my collection," Lucius considered.
Voldemort turned away, ignoring her. "We are not here to round up horses for your estate – do that on your own time."
"Yes, Dark Lord," he said, chastised. They returned to their discussion as Andaxia took a deep breath and stamped her hoof. They continued to ignore her. Relaxing, she thanked every god and goddess out there for the Occlumency training Snape had insisted she have. At the thought of Snape, she felt a pang in her heart, but she shoved it away. She could not afford such thoughts, especially here.
Carefully picking her way around the perimeter of the field, she found a good spot downwind, where she could follow their conversation. Fortunately, Voldemort and the others seemed to have forgotten that horses had a much better sense of hearing than humans and that she could still decipher their plans from even this distance. Bending her head down to graze, she pricked her ears and listened.
"Can't we just put a Summoning Charm on it?" whimpered Pettigrew.
Voldemort glared at him. "How many times must things be said before you remember them? The orbs do not respond to Summoning Charms. The only way to retrieve them is for the named one to physically pick it up. Which is why Harry Potter must be in the Department of Mysteries that night."
Andaxia stopped chewing. The Department of Mysteries? What would be so important in there? Flicking her tail, she grasped another bite.
"But, Master, how will we get the baby Potter there?" Bella whined.
Lucius understood first. "We trick him. We make him think someone he loves is being tortured in there, and we give him the choice – he will play the noble hero once again and come."
"Yes, he will come – we will use his beloved godfather against him. Harry will come to save Sirius," he said coldly.
Andaxia's muscles twitched as she shivered as the others murmured in agreement. This could not be happening.
"We will discuss this again tonight, in location number thirty-four. We must not linger for long in any one place – not with the noble Order of the Phoenix out looking for us."
All four laughed in amusement, a horrible sound that chilled the very air. Voldemort made a sign, and the other three Disapparated, leaving him alone. He shot her another mind-probe but she shielded her mind again with visions of birds and streams. He looked upward, proud of his plan, grinning frostily, then he Disapparated as well, leaving her alone with her thoughts.
Putting the pieces together, she realized that Sirius was in danger! She wanted to gallop as fast as she could and return to him immediately, but she had to remain in character – it was possible one of the Death Eaters was still nearby. After grazing for another hour, she snorted and majestically walked into the trees. She met the herd nearby; they confirmed the Bad-Feeling Ones were gone. Tall Grass saw she was upset, but she fended off his concern. "I need to get back. Something is very wrong here. I may not be around for a while, so I wanted to thank you now for all you've done."
Blue Sky nibbled her back in affection. "We appreciate the chance to help in restoring peace to our world. Have a safe journey home, Symphony."
Andaxia whinnied a farewell and galloped off, running as fast as she could to the barn. After transforming back into human shape, she thought for a moment. She knew she had promised Sirius she would Apparate closer to Grimmauld Place, but she needed the extra distance today to get her thoughts in order. How could she possibly tell Sirius this horrible news? Deciding, she Disapparated and reappeared on Stickwauld Place, her old Apparating location. She would keep her promise in the future, but she needed to break it today.
She set out for Sirius' house, trying to interpret what she had heard. So they were going to use Sirius as a way of getting to Harry, but why? What was in the Department of Mysteries that was important enough for them to risk getting caught? Voldemort had said the person whose name was on the orb ("what orb?" she asked herself) was the only one who could touch it – no, not touch – "physically pick up." Did these mean the same in this context or not? What was the significance of those particular Death Eaters being there, and not others?
Completely engaged in these thoughts, she did not notice a gang of young men surround her until the leader stopped her at knifepoint.
"Now, what's a pretty little thing like you doing in our dirty little neighborhood?" he jeered, eying her lustfully.
She surveyed the gang – there were eight of them, all holding knives, several licking their lips in anticipation. She sighed impatiently. "Please let me pass. I do not have this time to waste."
They laughed. "Pretty little thing talks big, doesn't she?" The leader spit in her face. "I think we should remind her how small she really is . . . " A greedy murmur ran through the gang as they closed in. More annoyed than frightened, she whipped out her wand.
"I mean it, let me pass! I don't want to have to Stun you, but I will if you don't let me through!" she called, her voice hard.
The ruffians looked at each other and laughed again. "Oh, trying to frighten us with a stick, huh?" one snickered.
"Maybe I should just run home to Mommy now!" shouted another.
"I mean it!" she cried, circling around, preparing to cast a Stunning Spell.
"Get the bitch!" cried the leader.
"Stupe . . ." She gasped in pain as the ninth man hidden on the balcony behind her embedded his knife between her shoulder blades. Screaming in pain and outrage, she tried again. "Stupe . . ." The leader smacked her hard across the face with one calloused hand and wrenched her wand away with the other, breaking her wrist. Now unarmed, she became frightened for the first time. Why hadn't she kept to the compromise? If she had, she would have Apparated half a block away from these brutes.
Stumbling as she tried to get away, she felt them kick, punch, and beat her. They dragged her into a boarded-up store, where four of them held her down as the others tore off her clothing. "Noooooo!" She screamed in terror, but her scream was cut short by a dirty rag being shoved into her mouth. She shut her eyes tight, aware of the knife wound in her back still bleeding. She felt the leader's rough hand stroke her cheek. "Pretty little thing, so wild. You must be tamed." The ones holding her tightened their grips as he mounted her.
All through the afternoon, they raped her. She lost track of how many times she was violated. The knife wound had stopped bleeding, but she had lost enough blood to make her very weak and nauseous. Finally, they were finished with her.
"Let's go," the leader barked. "She's done for." She vaguely heard the others leave, sniggering and hooting in glee.
She opened her eyes. The leader stood over her, grinning. "Not so feisty now, are we?" He bent over her. "I don't like seeing pretty little things showing up in our neighborhood. They are just asking for trouble," he whispered. "Now I have to make sure you are never seen around here again." He pulled out his knife, the same manic gleam in his eye that Bellatrix had worn. He removed the gag from her mouth. "Scream for me, sweetie."
Andaxia weakly lifted a hand in defense, but he smacked it away. She did scream as he suddenly thrust the knife into her stomach. The agony was intense. He withdrew the knife and rose, kicking her hard in the side as he turned to go, a crack rendering the air as several ribs broke under his boot. She could feel the life ebbing out of her as she whimpered. The leader's footsteps echoed as he walked away. Then he stopped and turned back.
"Oh, and here's your precious little stick," he sneered, tossing it to her. It bounced across the floor, rolling toward her hand. With the last of her strength, she seized it, and called, "Avian Alertus!" A large blue and silver eagle, her personal alarm, erupted from her wand, screeching as it flew out the door and up into the air. The leader stared at her, terrified, as she leveled the wand at him. He ran, cursing, out into the street.
Her hand collapsed back onto the floor, still grasped tightly around her wand. Her last thought was that Sirius was going to be furious with her. She was too stubborn for her own good. Gasping as she tried to hang on to life, everything went black.
She was unconscious when Remus and Arthur found her lying in a pool of blood, barely alive. They immediately ascertained what had happened. They stopped the worst of the bleeding and wrapped her in their robes, then performed a Group Apparate to the front of Number Twelve. Carrying her inside, they were met by a frantic Sirius, who was being held back by an exhausted Molly and Bill. Wrenching away from them, he followed Andaxia upstairs.
They took her to one of the guest bedrooms and laid her on the bed. Molly and Bill immediately brought up hot water, towels, and what medicines were on hand, and then Bill left to send an emergency owl to Dumbledore.
Finally, Sirius made his way over to her and cried out in dismay; she was barely recognizable under all the wounds. She was pale and barely breathing, covered in blood, dirt and sweat. Bruises, cuts, and scrapes covered her entire body, and she had several broken bones, in addition to the two knife wounds. Molly shooed the men out so she could wash her and patch her wounds. Andaxia had slipped into a deep coma, but Molly talked to her anyway as she worked, caring for her as if she was another of her children. Gently prying the wand from Andaxia's clenched fist, she headed downstairs, leaving the door open for the others to re-enter. Remus and Arthur tried to comfort Sirius through their own shock, but he was oblivious to them. They left him in silence.
Sirius wept openly, running a gentle hand down her bruised and battered face, listening as she struggled to breathe through a damaged windpipe and a broken nose. He stayed with her for several hours, stroking her cheek, hair, and hands. "Oh, my Daxy," he murmured. "Come back to me."
Later that evening, Dumbledore arrived. He immediately headed up to Andaxia's room, where Sirius had maintained his vigil at her side. He quickly performed a Scanning Charm to gauge the extent of her injuries, and his face momentarily blanched as he digested what he learned; she was hurt much worse than he had thought. He approached Sirius and gripped him by the shoulder as he gazed upon her face, silent and still as death.
"Professor, shouldn't we move her to St. Mungo's?" Sirius said quietly.
"No, she must remain here."
Sirius growled. "But she needs expert help . . . "
"Sirius, she cannot be sent to St. Mungo's. To do so would be to reveal her to the magical community at large. She would never forgive me if she lost her advantage of posing as a conventional Muggle. She will survive, and I have brought with me some of Madam Pomfrey's own potions and spells. She will be in good hands here, where she has your support and love."
"She will get better?" Sirius questioned.
"Yes, I believe so. She has a strong will – she will make herself pull through. I think she would be eternally furious if she slept through the end of the threat of Voldemort, and we were celebrating without her." Dumbledore smiled warmly.
Sirius returned the grin. He could just see Andaxia screaming an unbroken line of bad words upon learning of that.
"Get some sleep, Sirius. Molly will watch over her for awhile." He squeezed Sirius' shoulder again, then removed his hand. Sirius started to argue, but Dumbledore interjected. "You will do her no good if you're exhausted. You need to keep up your strength for her."
Sirius gave in, knowing that Dumbledore spoke the truth. He rose, stroking Andaxia's cold cheek, and then headed for the door. "It's a shame we can't find out what she discovered this morning. The only thing that would have made her break a promise to me was if she really thought it was for the best."
Dumbledore raised an eyebrow, confused.
"She promised me last night that she would Apparate closer to here than she has been. It must have been important news indeed to make her need that extra distance and time to think."
"We may still retrieve that information from her."
Sirius looked worried. He looked Dumbledore in the eye, furious. "She should be at St. Mungo's." As he strode past, he muttered, "I just hope we don't receive her information too late."
