Fiona, terrified, watched the man assault Miss Phoebe, before she found the wits to run off. A short distance away, she found the teacher she was looking for.
"PROFESSOR!" she screamed from a distance, running as fast as her legs would go.
Harry turned to see what the panic was about. "Fiona?"
"Pfsr…," the girl panted, "Pfessr…Miss Falcon…man…hurting her…behind Zonko's…Alley."
"Phoebe!" Harry rushed off, ignoring everything else. She followed him as soon as she caught her breath.
"Hmffff!" Phoebe wrestled, trying to keep Zacharias away.
"Oh Merlin, let someone come, someone help me, Harry, Harry, HARRY!" she begged inside her head.
Zacharias tore her cloak and her dress, forcing her down on the cold street.
"Potter is a weakling," he growled, "he won't save you now."
"SMITH!"
Phoebe nearly fainted in relief. "HARRY!" she yelled, when Zacharias stood up in surprise.
"Well, well, Potter," he drawled.
"Leave her alone, Smith," Harry hissed, "get your paws off her."
"She's mine," Zacharias sneered, "what are you going to do about it, you pathetic invalid little has-been!"
Harry's eyes flashed in anger and for a moment, Zacharias stepped back. Phoebe managed to free herself. But then Harry's legs gave way from under him and his wand slipped from his hand as he fell.
"NO!" Phoebe yelled, trying to get to Harry. Zacharias grabbed her roughly.
"See what has become of your hero? A pathetic excuse for a wizard, too weak to stand on his legs. Very well, he can stay there and watch us bond."
"Stupify!"
Zacharias ducked just in time to avoid the wandless curse from Harry, who, despite being on the ground, was glowing with power. Angry, and not willing to admit he was intimidated, Zacharias drew his own wand.
"Expelliarmus!" sounded a young, but determined voice.
Fiona had reached the Alley and saw Professor Potter on the ground without his wand. To her surprise, he still threw a spell at the evil man trying to hurt Miss Phoebe. She knew instinctively that the Professor could handle the man and didn't need her protection, but before she knew it, she had drawn her wand and cast the Disarming spell.
"Petrificus Totalis," Harry guided so much power into the spell that Zacharias not only froze, but slammed into the wall.
"Phoebe," he called, "Phoebe, are you alright?"
"Y-yes," a shaking voice came from the back of the Alley. Phoebe clutched desperately at her torn clothes. Harry unclasped his cloak.
"Take this," he said softly, "please, Phoebs."
He sat back and sighed in pain. "Winky," he called.
The little elf appeared, and took in the scene in shock.
"Get the Headmaster, Winky," Harry said, slowly losing his battle with sleep, "my braces…Phoebe…Fiona?"
The girl approached.
"Well done," Harry whispered, "do something for me. Point your wand at him and say Bindus."
Fiona obeyed, and watched in awe as ropes shot from her wand to bind Zacharias firmly. The girl then stood guard over the three figures until the Headmaster appeared at the Alley, a suspiciously short time later, followed by McGonagall. Harry by then was overcome by fatigue, and Phoebe had retreated into herself.
Albus oversaw the situation quickly.
"Winky, pop Phoebe to Madam Pomfrey and then come back quickly for Harry. I'm taking Mr. Smith to the castle. Minerva, please look after Miss Grendel."
Fiona watched the Headmaster, Miss Phoebe and finally Professor Potter disappear. She looked up shyly to the Transfiguration Professor. The woman usually intimidated her, but now there was a smile on the Professor's lips.
"I think you could use a hot cup of tea and some ginger newts," she said to the girl, "come along, child. You were very brave."
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Harry slowly opened his eyes. His dazed brains were confused for a moment. Last he remembered was an alley in Hogsmeade – but now someone had put up a ceiling over the town that looked like the one in his bedroom.
"W-Winky?" he asked.
A soft 'pop' told him the elf had entered.
"Master Harry is awake!" Winky said happily, "is Master Harry feeling alright?"
Harry slowly sat up. "Yes…I think so…Phoebe!" he suddenly exclaimed, memories making their way back to him, "Is she alright? Where is Smith? I swear if he touched her I'm going to…"
"Miss Phoebe is being alright, Master Harry. She is being sad, though. Madam Nurse is helping her. Headmaster has taken the bad man. Winky was frightened, Master Harry, Professor Dumbledore sir was being so angry! Aurors took the bad man, and Winky and Dobby had to sit him down on the couch and give him little Master Severus to hold before he was calm again."
Cursing, Harry struggled to get out of bed. "If only I hadn't been so bloody weak! I fell right at his feet. I've become worthless!"
Winky put a hand on his knee. "No, yous not, Master Harry."
He glared at her. "I had to have a first year help me!"
"Little miss Fiona was a very brave witch, but Master Harry would have been fine without her. Master Harry doesn't NEED a wand. Master Harry must stop being angry at himself. Miss Phoebe is safe, and the bad man is in prison."
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Phoebe sat on her bed, her knees drawn up to her chin. She shivered as she remembered Zacharias's hard hands, his demanding tone. She had been so terrified.
But then Harry had come. Harry had saved her. Even when his legs gave out, he was still capable of defending her. She sobbed silently. SHE should have been casting spells, she should have been able to defend herself, to at least help Harry. But it had been up to a little girl to do that.
"No point in blaming yourself, you know," a familiar voice said. Athena.
"Who else do I have to blame?" Phoebe asked bitterly, "I went out with him to make Harry jealous. I brought this on myself."
"Don't you dare!" the ghost floated right in front of her, "He should not have touched you. It was not your fault. My mother used to say: 'A girl should behave proper and dignified, Athena, but even if you were to walk into the streets stark naked, the only action a man should take is to offer you his cloak.' I do believe she was right."
Phoebe smiled slightly. "Your mother sounds like a sensible woman. Yet, I still was stupid. What will Harry think of me now?"
"PHOEBE!"
The ghost turned her head to the door. The wood groaned under the pressure someone was applying to it from the outside.
"I do believe you are about to find out, dear," she smirked as she floated through the nearest wall.
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"Where is Miss Phoebe?"
"Where is Professor Potter?"
"Is it true someone attacked them?"
"Could it be Death Eaters?"
"No, there are no Death Eaters anymore."
"How do we know that?"
"There wasn't any Dark Mark over Hogsmeade…"
"The Slytherins are quiet today, they must be up to something."
"Look, the Headmaster is standing up!"
Albus Dumbledore waited until the Hall quieted and glanced at the Slytherin table. They did look subdued and frightened.
"Miss Falcon-Ashley was indeed attacked today. Professor Potter was able to defeat her attacker. No, he was not a Death Eater. But the world, as a friend of mine once said, is not divided in good people and Death Eaters. There is still selfishness, and greed, and jealousy in the world. I'm afraid that is something we will always have to fight against."
His gaze swept over the solemn faces in front of him. Then he smiled brightly.
"But, there is also bravery, and love, and people who would sacrifice their own safety for the sake of others. Those people we should honor. Miss Fiona Grendel did just that when she quickly got help from Professor Potter, and was not afraid to confront a grown Wizard to help rescue a beloved staff member." He smiled at the blushing and squirming girl.
"Therefore, fifty points will be added to Slytherin's hourglass for Miss Grendel's examplary behavior."
He saw the girl's jaw drop, and her eyes grow wide. Her fellow Slytherins were smiling at her. Even the sixth and seventh years gave her approving nods.
In the stunned silence that rested on the other Houses, applause suddenly started, first at the Hufflepuff table, then Gryffindor and Ravenclaw followed.
Fiona felt like hiding under the table, but when she looked at the Headmaster, she realized that the applause wasn't just for her – the other Houses were slowly accepting Slytherin back as a real part of the school.
A/N I'm going to be cruel and leave Harry outside Phoebe's door. Also my apologies for the lack of baby Severus in this chapter, but really – he was safely up in Albus's rooms and scenes of violence are no place for a child.