Little Phoenix (Harry Potter Fanfiction)

17. The Knight Bus

As the anger wore off, another emotion began to ebb away at Nic. Her hair changed to a bright white and her eyes shifted to an icy blue. Glancing over at her, Harry asked, "You okay?"

Stopping at Magnolia Crescent, she set down her trunk and replied, "Harry, there's something I haven't told you."

"What?" he asked, looking surprised.

"At Christmas, I got a gift from someone I didn't know," she explained quietly, sitting down on the low wall beside them. "It was first year. It was a notebook...from Mum and Dad."

"What did it say?" Harry asked softly, too tired to care why she'd not told him.

"It had a letter from them...to me," she sighed. "They...they seemed to think I was more likely to survive if something happened. Dad wasn't like she described him as. He was a good man, Harry."

"I know," he sighed, sitting down next to her. "Dad had an invisibility cloak. Dumbledore passed it on to me that same Christmas."

Smiling slightly, Nic sighed, "We both got something from them then." Her smile dropped as she said, "I wish we could've know them." Harry sighed but made no response as Nic pulled out the notebook again. She scanned over it as Harry began digging in his trunk for something.

Dear Nicki,
    If you're reading this is means something has happened to me and your father, but you somehow survived. I hope Harry is with you, but I know that whatever kind of world you're living in right now you will make great. I can tell that you are a sweet little girl. A few months after you and Harry were born, Harry was crying because he'd spilled his cup of milk and you didn't like seeing him cry. So you gave him yours and since then I've only seen you be kind, even as a young, young girl.
    I love you, sweetheart, but I want to do all I can to protect you. Inside these pages is a spell that I worked out with your father and his friends in their fifth year. I want you to use it so you can be protected. It's complicated and hard, but I believe in you, sweetie. Take care of your brother if he's still around.
                        Love,
                            Mum

Dear Nic,
     Merlin I hope you never have to read this, but if this whole encounter with Voldemort goes as he wants it to then I need to make sure you know a few things. The first and most important one is that you know that I love you. I love you more than you can imagine. When you were born and you came into this world I wouldn't let you go. I held you in my arms for hours and hours, watching your hair and eyes change color. I remember once you changed it so you looked almost exactly like Harry.
       Another thing I need you to know is that if you ever need anything then go to one of the following people: Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, or Albus Dumbledore. I'd trust them with my life and I know that they'd look after you too. Please use the spell in these pages. I believe in you too, sweetie. I hope that you grow up getting to know me and your mum, but in case you haven't, please just know how much we love you.
                            Love,
                                  Dad

Just as she finished, Harry jolted up, looking around him sharply. Shoving the notebook in her trunk, Nic stood, whispering, "What is it?"

"Something's over there," he breathed. Harry lit his wand and it revealed a large, dark shape. Harry backed up as Nic jumped, both tripling and falling to the ground. Nic's fall was much worse than Harry's, for she had landed on her wrist which made a deafening crack. Another loud bang echoed through the alley and a bus appeared before them.

Harry helped Nic to her feet to face the violently purple bus that was now before them. She cradled her wrist in her other hand as a conductor stepped out. "Welcome to the Knight Bus, emergency transport for the stranded witch and wizard. Just stick out your wand hand, step on board, and we can take you wherever you want to go. My name is Stan Shunpike, and I will be your conductor this eve-" He broke off, spotting the surprised and confused looks on both the children's faces.