20

Chapter XX: Pretty Bird

(Harry P.O.V)

Harry had found himself sitting against the large oak tree that overlooked the Black Lake, the first snow had finally come, and chunks of ice had begun to form along the surface of the now freezing lake. He had always loved this spot, despite its central location, for one reason or another, it had always seemed isolated, and learning it was his mother's favorite spot on the Hogwarts Grounds from Remus had brought him a certain level of comfort.

"I wish you were here mom," Harry spoke in a hushed whisper as he spoke into the air, his breath turning to mist, "Dad too, I could really use some advice from both of you." Harry sighed once more, "Sirius, he told me that Dad was a natural-born leader, that he could make decisions in an instant without even a shred of doubt, and everyone always tells me how bright you were mom, I wish I'd inherited more of that from you."

A sad smile filled his face as he looked onward into the distance, "I'm talking to trees," He said in a low voice as he shook his head, "Maybe I am going crazy, although I've seen Neville talking to plants before so at least I'm not alone in that." Harry pushed himself further back into the tree, allowing his head to rest against the softened bark as he continued, "I wonder what you would do mom? If you were in my shoes that is. Sirius, he told me not to lose sight of who I am, he says that he's worried about me becoming too serious and rigid and losing my spark, but it's hard to stay a fun-loving prankster when the fate of the wizarding world is on your shoulders."

"The prophecy said that you and dad defied him three times," Harry said as he looked up at the sky, the snow falling gently on his face, "During the first task, I felt his power, and that wasn't even his true form," His hand slowly clenched into a fist, "It was astronomical, outside of Dumbledore I'd never felt a magic so powerful. I wish I knew how you two had the courage to stand against such an ominous force for so long, I wish I understood what gave you the strength to keep moving forward, even when everything seemed lost."

"Dumbledore," Harry whispered, "He said it was the power of your love that saved me that night, he talks about it like love has some kind of physical or at least magical power that could give me the strength I need to fight against Him, but it just seems so unrealistic." He grit his teeth, "I mean, I'm fourteen, what the hell would I know about love. I know I love Sirius and Remus and the Tonks', there's even this girl that I'm dating, her name is Daphne, and I heard her almost tell me she loved me, and I think I might feel the same way, but like I said, what the hell would I know about feelings that intense."

"She's great though, I know that nobody is perfect, but to me, she's pretty close," Harry said with a smile as he thought about Daphne's honey blonde-hair and icy-blue eyes, "She's always covering for me whenever I get too impatient and do something stupid and she wants to stay with me even after all this shit that's been happening. I think you'd like her a lot if you ever met her." Harry wiped the snow from his face before dropping his hand back to the floor, his finger digging softly into the coated ground, "I don't know, I guess I'm just sort of rambling here, maybe Sirius is right, maybe I should try to loosen up again. And as for all this love stuff that Dumbledore's always going on about, maybe there's more to it than just some physical strength, maybe it's something even more powerful than something tangible."

He ran his hands through his hair, trying to shake out the snow as he rose from the icy ground and turned once more to face the tree his mother had rested against so many years ago as he forced the widest smile he could to his face, "I wish you and dad were here, but don't worry, I promise I'm going to figure this all out, and no matter what, I'm going to find a way to stop him," He wiped the single tear that had leaked from his eye as briskly as he could, "I am the son of Lily and James Potter after all."

The sound of footsteps shuffling through the snow had caught his attention and while it wasn't surprising to hear people out and enjoying the fresh snow, it was odd that the footsteps were approaching his exact position. Harry tilted to the side expanding his vision past the tree trunk, his brow furrowed, but as if a ray of warmth had overtaken him, he saw a dance of honey-blonde hair through the shimmering snow and smiled.

His grin had only grown brighter as his eyes locked with Daphne's Icy-Blue orbs, a firm look on her face as it ballooned in the same fashion as her younger sister, "I knew I'd find you here," She said snappily, "I get that you don't want to be in the castle, but would it kill you to wear a thicker jacket, it's freezing out here."

"Sorry to worry you," He said with a smile, "Thanks for treading through the 'blizzard' to find me, it must have been a dreadful journey."

"You're impossible," Daphne said with a gentle smile, but Harry noticed the slight quivering in her arms and legs. Without a second thought, he wrapped his arm around his girl, tightening his grip as he pulled Daphne closer to his chest. A slight stutter of confusion infiltrated her voice, "What brought this on, huh?"

"Thank you," He whispered into her hair.

"For what?" Daphne queried, "I just came outside to get you for training."

"For everything," He whispered back, "I just don't feel like I thank you as much as I should."

"You'll never have to," She whispered back burrowing her head into the crook of his neck, "We're a team Flyboy, watching out for you is my job." Harry grinned as he gently nipped at her neck with brief kisses causing her to giggle before she spoke once more, "Oh yeah, I forgot, I have some news for you."

Before Harry could even ask what she had meant, he felt her dainty hands crawl up from around his neck towards the back of his head where his bandages had been tied. Genty, he felt himself being pushed further into Daphne's lemony-scent as the tightness around his head loosened falling gently into Daphne's grasp. "Ta-Da," She said with a grin, breaking from Harry as he eyed her with amusement, "Now you look like a normal person and not like a poorly wrapped mummy." He felt a spark of electricity course through his as Daphne brushed away his hair from his scar.

"You never told me why, but I know that this scar means a lot to you," Daphne said softly, "I talked to Madam Pomfrey about if you could take it off, the bandages that is, I figured you could use something to make you feel more upbeat, and when she said yes I came looking. Plus," She said with a smirk, "I think I've grown used to seeing that lightning bolt, you're just not the same Flyboy without it."

A simper grew across his lips as he leaned down pressing them against his girlfriend's forehead, "Thanks Princess," He said pulling her closer and carefully descending towards the dry spot he'd cleared at the base of the tree. Daphne had put up little resistance before she had succumbed to the new position, leaning further into his chest as Harry smiled down at her before looking forward at the bobbing boat that lay anchored in the center of the lake. "It's because of my mom."

"Sorry?" Daphne asked in confusion.

"The reason my scar's important to me is because of my mom," Harry repeated his focus resting solely on Daphne's Icy Blue orbs. "It's just a theory, but Dumbledore, he believes that the reason I survived the attack is because of my mother sacrificed herself for me. It's not just him, Sirius told me the same thing when I learned about everything. It's confusing, but I think it's true. When I think hard, I can still hear her voice calling out to me before everything flashes green. My scar, it reminds me that even though they aren't around, my parents, they loved me, they loved me more than they loved their lives."

"They were heroes," Daphne said warmly as he met her eyes, "And I'm sure they'd have been so proud of the person you've become."

"I wish you could have met them," Harry said with a grin, "I'm sure they would have loved you."

"Of course they would," Daphne said with playful confidence, "Have you met me? I'm very loveable."

"I can't argue with that," Harry said leaning down to catch her lips, a warm moan leaving her mouth as he wrapped his arms around her before he saw her eyes widen in realization.

"Shoot," She said playfully, "I came here to tell you it was time for training and look at what happened. Maybe Tracey was right, I'm far too soft on you."

"We'll go," Harry said tightening his grip around Daphne's narrow waist, "But let's just stay here, just the two of us, just a little longer."

Harry looked down at her, his eyes resting lovingly upon her gentle pale skin as she rolled her eyes comically, "You're lucky you're cute," She said with a chuckle, "Alright Flyboy, just a little longer."

(Michael P.O.V)

Michael grumbled as he wrapped his bronze and blue scarf tighter around his neck, the snow falling like raindrops upon his face in a pattern that had been driving him crazy. He can't even show up to detention on time, Michael snarled as he adjusted his dark blue beanie his eyes set on the forest ahead. "But I'm sick," He heard a whiny voice call out, "You can't make me go out there, what if I get Hypothermia or something!"

"Then perhaps you should have thought of that before fighting in the halls," A low grunt echoed through the castle walls. Yes, the last thing that Michael wanted to do was go out and run through the forbidden forest in the snow, but he'd be lying if he said he didn't find any amusement in the way Terry was doing everything in his power to try and plant his feet against the elderly castle-caretaker who was currently dragging him by the wrist towards the entrance of the castle. "Come on boy! Move!"

Michael couldn't contain his smirk as he locked eyes with the petrified Terry who grimaced at him in return, "Please, you have to believe me, I didn't do anything! It was all Corner's fault, he started it!"

"Guess all this talk about you becoming a man this summer was a load of crap, huh Boot?" Michael said with a shrug, "Could you imagine if Susan saw you acting like this, she'd be so ashamed she stayed with you, she might actually believe me when I said you did cheat on her just to not have to be seen with you."

Boot attempted the best glare he could manage under the circumstances, but the way Michael's eyes flashed with pure hatred towards the fellow Ravenclaw had silenced even the slightest whisper of aggression in the boy's expression. Michael's eyes then shifted to the caretaker and the stern look on his face was all Michael needed to understand it was time to move. With irritation, he released a single sigh, his breath visible in the cold winter air and pushed forward into the soft and frigid snow.

Under Filch's firm gaze, both he and Boot marched, closer and closer towards the edge of the forest. Normally, being marched out in the cold would have been torturous enough, but due to Hagrid's Hut having such close proximity to the Beauxbaton Carriage, they were met with a chorus of giggles from the french students. Even worse than that, however, was the horrendous smell in the air that seemed to be leaking from their destination. As they approached even closer, Michael had seen the rather large man that was Hagrid standing there in the center of the field with a large belt strapped around him, each loop connected by some kind of clip to a bucket which seemed to be filled with the gifts of raw materials or food.

"Ah good!" Hagrid called out, 'You're here, just in time too, I was about to set off without you!"

"I wish you would've, you big oaf," Terry whispered beneath his breath. For some reason, that had irritated Michael. It could have been just because it came from Terry, someone he despised, but it felt like more than that. Sure, Michael had never taken a class with Hagrid, but the Care of Magical Creatures professor had always seemed kind and rather genuine, something he had heard was not common for those with giant-blood. Tough, part of it could probably have been explained by the fact that he theorized that Hagrid was a half-giant, much like he believed the Beauxbatons Headmistress to be.

"I leave 'em with you then, Hagrid," Filch growled out.

"Yes, no need to worry yourself any longer," Hagrid said with a smile, "Head on back to the Castle and get some hot tea, it's more than a bit nippy out here, me and these two will sort out the rest." With that Filch left and Michael had found his attention once more upon the large man, "Ah, I've heard of you, you're Michael Corner, Harry's friend, right?"

Michael nodded, and he watched as Hagrid's face lit up, "You seem like a good kid, I'm glad that Harry hasn't had much trouble making real friends, you still admitting to being his friend even with all this Dark Wizard nonsense going around is warming my heart."

"Of course," Michael nodded, "Harry's my best friend, but if you don't mind me asking, why do you care if Harry fits in or is treated well?"

"I knew his parents well, I actually came to collect him after the whole, you-know-what happened, but Sirius got there first." Hagrid sighed, "He was the boy's Godfather, it's only fair, but I wish I would've gotten to know the boy more, James and Lily were close friends of mine." Michael gave a kind smile to the half-giant as he noticed a single tear forming in his eye, "The fact that he's made good friends, it puts me at ease."

"I'll talk to Harry," Michael said gently, "I'll tell him about you, I'm sure if he knew that you had stories to tell him about his parents, he'd be glad to join you for some tea in your home, I'll come as well if you want."

Hagrid nodded with a smile wiping away his tears, "You're a kind boy," He said as Michael felt the pressure of Hagrid's large hand resting upon his head, "But look at me, getting all emotional over things in the past, we have a job to do, after all."

Michael had heard Boot mutter something beneath his breath but had chosen to ignore it as Hagrid began the explanation of the mission at hand, "Alright," Hagrid said clearing his throat, 'Our job is simple, the creatures of the Forest weren't too happy with the arena of the first task being built in their backyard, so to speak, and what our goal is, is that we are going to give them some treats in order to repay their kindness."

"I will, of course, handle the more dangerous beasts," Hagrid said with a tone filled with enthusiasm, "So what I want you two to do, is to follow Fang towards the centaur colony, and give them these." Michael watched as Hagrid handed him a bucket full of beautifully crafted bows and arrows shrunk down to fit in their compact container. "Dumbledore shrunk them down for me," Hagrid said, "These are the best bows crafted by human-kind, knowing the centaurs, they'll probably look down and attempt to make fun of our craftsmanship, but don't let it get under your skin. They don't have to use it, we just have to show them that we appreciate them letting us use their land. So show up, do as your told, give them our gift, and leave, nothing else. Understand?"

Michael nodded but one look at Boot had made him a bit uncomfortable as he leaned over towards his other detention-bound classmate, "If you so much as open your mouth, I'll make sure to help the centaurs in their punishment of you, so stay quiet." Boot gulped but nodded as I turned to face the beast known as Fang, a huge boarhound as black as midnight, "Alright Fang, lead the way." The dog barked loudly with pride, and with the bucket in hand, both he and Boot entered the looming, dark, and frozen forest.

Unlike the snow near the castle, the snow that covered the floor of the forest had become a slushy substance that despite the warming charms placed on his boots still managed to pierce through the fabric. I know what I'm asking Harry for on Christmas, he thought to himself as he tried to ignore the welching coming from his unwilling traveling partner. It was true they had been walking now for a while, it was cold and his muscles had begun to hurt, but knowing that finishing the task would mean a quicker return to the castle was all the motivation he needed.

Michael wasn't sure how long they'd been out, he had wished he bothered to pay attention in astronomy as he constantly glanced up at the sky, hoping to find something entertaining, but nothing really caught his eye, nothing that was until a plume of smoke that he'd seen growing in the distance. Found 'em, he thought happily as Fang entered a faster pace forcing them to keep up as they pushed through the thick trees and foliage into a clearing that glowed with orange light.

He had never seen anything quite like what sat before him. If he had to equate it to anything, it looked very similar to how Muggle Textbooks had depicted the Native American tribes, but on a scale far larger. The roaring fire rested in the center of what looked like a camp filled with tents larger than any he'd seen before. The sounds of trotting echoed through the trees as he watched young centaurs test their speed amongst each other, while he watched another two adult male centaurs engage in what looked similar to an arm-wrestling contest. Others laughed merrily around the fire, but for the most part, the centaurs had their head up facing the stars with looks of intrigue. Cautiously, Michael gestured to take a step forward before a centaur that stood beside the fire called out, not even bothering to face him, "Stay where you are human, we'll address you when we're ready?"

"Do you know how long we had to walk through the-" Boot had started in an outrage, earning the glare of the entire Centaur Colony but before he could finish his statement, Michael's elbow had collided with his stomach.

"I apologize for my friend, we will wait until you are ready to address us," Michael said with a low and polite bow.

As Michael rose, the sound of trotting hoofs approached ever closer and he couldn't stop himself from swallowing hard as, from the fire pit, a large and looming figure approached. He was a centaur, like the others, with a humanoid appearance mixed with the body of a horse, but this one eclipsed most of the others in size. The horseman was a huge black-haired and black-bodied creature with a wild-looking black beard. Without a doubt, this is their leader, Michael thought to himself. He swallowed hard but before he could even speak, a chuckle erupted from the colony leader, "A human being with manners, who would have believed they still existed, you're companion needs some work though. You've interrupted a very important day for our tribe, I hope you have something of importance."

A low grumbling came once more from Boot, but Michael slammed his foot down on the other boy's toes making him squeal in pain before as politely as he could he spoke, "To be perfectly honest, I don't know your tribe's customs, but I don't want to be disrespectful. I bring with me gifts from Hogwarts as thanks for allowing the arena to be built within your land. It's in this bucket, but it will require me to enlarge the contents. How would you like me to present our gifts?"

If possible, Michael swore that for a brief moment a genuine grin appeared upon the Centaur's face as he nodded, "Commonly, we do not allow wands within our colony, but as you have been respectful and willing to learn our customs, I will choose not to take your actions as a slight. Now, gift-bearer, you may proceed towards the bonfire, your friend, however, will remain where he is, wizard-kind is normally not allowed within our land."

"So what, you're just going to leave me out in the-" However, with a snap of his fingers, Michael had muted the other Ravenclaw, a sharp glare aimed at his direction. Once more, he pleaded for forgiveness from the Centaur group as he approached the warm flame, the younger Centaurs now approaching him steadily, eyeing him with curiosity.

"Now, Gift-Bearer," The large centaur spoke, "You may remove your wand and present us our gifts." As carefully as he possibly could, Michael squatted down, dumping the contents of the bucket down on the ground beside the fire before flicking his wand out from his holster and enlarge the bows and arrows. For a moment, the heard had remained silent, but as the eyes of the tribe looked up from the ground once more laughter erupted among themselves, "Gifts of bows and arrows, truly the wizards have no end to their hubris."

"I know that we humans have issues with our egos, it's a problem I do my best to deal with every day," Michael began, trying desperately to choose his words correctly, "I also know that even our best bows and arrows will most-likely pale in comparison to your years of practiced craftsmanship. My father himself is a crafter of sorts with muggles and I have seen just how amazing a work can be when created by a master. Which is why I know that these bows are in no way meant to belittle you, but instead, it is to show that while we may not have your refined skills, we did wish to think of a way to thank you appropriately for generously allowing us wizards to use your land."

Once more, Michael was met with silence and a sickening feeling in his stomach had left him questioning whether he should speak more or not, but thankfully the leader of the colony broke the silence with a rather odd question, "Gift-Bearer, what is your name?"

"Michael, sir," He said awkwardly, not entirely sure how to address a centaur chief, "Michael Corner."

"Michael Corner, you certainly are a wizard that is full of surprises," The Chief spoke, "For as far back as our history goes, we centaurs have never been treated as equals among the human species, and yet, you have shown a level of politeness and respect to my people that I have not seen in years. I, Bane, Chief of this Colony, accept your gift, Hogwarts' debt to our Colony has been paid."

"Thank you, Chief Bane," Michael said, "It is an honor to have met you."

Bane nodded in return as he spoke, "Michael, you certainly have intrigued me, the stars foretold of a wizard who would come to right our wrongs, perhaps that wizard could be you."

"I don't know," Michael said nervously, "I'm not exactly the most ambitious person in the world, though hearing that you have been treated as subhuman is certainly something that is quite irritating. Everyone, no matter how poor or different they might be from what is considered the norm should be treated with respect."

Bane nodded, "You are certainly an interesting wizard, Michael. You will be welcome among our tribe should you wish to visit. However, I must mind you, trust can be easily shattered, we have been burned many times before by you wizards." Michael nodded in understanding as Bane continued, "For now though, I recommend you head back to the Castle Grounds and remain vigilant, the planets are showing a looming disaster."

With those ominous words, Michael had been politely escorted to the edge of the colony ground by the young centaurs where a rather miffed-looking Terry stood shivering in the cold. "Did you enjoy your chat with the half-breeds," Terry said seemingly having released the silencing charm

This had earned him a glare not only from the two young centaurs but Michael as well as in a dangerous tone he spoke loudly enough for the distant centaurs to hear, "They are living beings, just because they don't look exactly like us doesn't make them less worthy of respect. Don't insult them again if you know what's good for you."

Boot swallowed hard but the Centaurs nodded with approval at his statement and that was all that mattered at the moment. Tiredly, Michael turned to face Hagrid's hound before nodding, giving him the signal that they were good to return to Hagrid, a command that the dog was all too happy to follow. With one last polite bow to the Centaur Colony, Michael turned his back towards the little tribe and began chasing after Fang, This certainly was a lot more interesting than I thought it was going to be, that's for sure.

Michael wasn't sure if Fang was currently tracking Hagrid's scent, or if he'd just become so familiar with walks through the forest that he was leading them by ear, but Michael was quite certain that they weren't leaving in the same direction they had come. The planets are showing a looming disaster, he thought to himself, I know that divination is spotty, but that, that's just too ominous to ignore.

He wasn't sure how long they'd walked, the snow was rising quicker and quicker as the snow shower had yet to stop since morning, and the crowded forest had certainly done very little to help increase their speed. He had called out for Fang asking him to heel, and as the dog sat upon the snow-clad ground wagging his tail happily, Michael had taken the opportunity, alongside Boot to do what they could to catch their breath, even though the air was cold to the point it burned in their lungs. Numbly, Michael gazed off in the distance, darkness filled every tree corridor, at least it had, until to his great surprise, an eruption of blue fire blinded him temporarily before it simmered down to a rather obnoxious glow. Just what the hell was that? Part of him knew that he shouldn't have approached, he knew he needed to leave well enough alone, and yet, he couldn't stop himself. If curiosity killed the cat, the best he could hope for at that moment was hopefully whatever the source of the fire was, it wasn't in a cat-killing mood.

His legs pushed forward, ignoring the calls of the other Ravenclaw and the howling of Fang as he unwillingly raced towards the source of the blue flame. Not wanting to be left alone, the sound of rapidly moving footsteps of Boot and Fang followed him from behind as he weaved in between the trees, another flash of blue flames becoming clearer in the distance. A well-lit forest clearing lied up ahead, and cautiously, he approached, hiding behind a tree just shy of the clearing, Boot, and Fang not far behind him.

He felt a tremor fill his hand as he tilted his head slowly into view of the empty space, and whatever he'd been expecting, it certainly hadn't been the sight he saw. In the center of the forest, he saw a familiar silhouette with vibrant-pink hair shivering in the distance. The girl's knees were curled up towards her chest and the sounds of sobbing cut through the cool air like a knife. Claire? He thought to himself a sense of urgency filling his heart as his legs sprang into action without a thought, "Claire," He whispered once more approaching the girl as quickly yet as cautiously as he could. His hand tapped her shoulder but a searing heat filled his palm forcing it off the french model, "What the hell?" His eyes fell to her once more, "Claire, are you okay?"

"Go away," She started in a low voice, "Go away! Go away! Go away!" She shouted a panic rising in her voice, "Get the hell away from me!" A gust of pure heat like a preheated oven being opened in his face pushed him back, but he fought hard against the pressure as Boot and Fang filled the area.

"Claire, it's not safe to be out here all alone, you need to-,"

"Go Away!" She shrieked, "Don't look at me! Go away!" Michael swallowed hard but refused to budge.

"I'm not going to leave you out here," Michael called, "It's not safe, you should come back with-"

Michael felt his heart stop in his chest as what he could only distantly recognize as Claire through her grey eyes stared back at him with anger. However, she looked nothing like the beautiful model that had entered the school on their first day back. In place of her perfect button nose, a sharp-looking beak rested. Instead of the girl's perfectly manicured nails, her hands had seemed to have mutated into claw-like hooks. And around her neck and arms, a few feathers looked as if they'd been glued to her skin. "Wh-what the hell are you?" Boot called out in fear.

"I told you to go away!" Claire yelled, tears streaming down her face, blue fire appearing in her sharpened hands, "Leave now!"

"You're a monster, a beast," Boot said, but as the Ravenclaw beside him shivered, Michael remained as unmoved as he possibly could, his eyes locked with the tormented girl.

"So this is the drawback of being a Veela, huh?" Michael said as warmly as he could, "I've got to say, beauty queen, this certainly isn't what I expected your animal side to look like. Nice feathers, by the way, they look very soft."

"Don't talk to me like that!" She cried out, the tears streaming even heavier than before, "I'm a monster, a freak, there's not a single thing about myself that I don't hate with all my heart!"

"You're not a monster," Michael said calmly, "You're different, but that doesn't make you a freak. And even if it did, what's wrong with that, do you know how lame the world would be if everyone was normal and boring like me. Hell, you can shoot blue fireballs out of your hands, that's awesome."

For a quick second, a stunned look seemed to have appeared across her face before gently, Michael called out, "I'm going to get a bit closer okay, I know I irritate you like crazy, but try not to burn me to a crisp, and if you do, please don't aim for the hair, it's pretty much all I have going for me." One step, and then another, and then another, and soon, Michael had found himself face to face with the french fourth year, his eyes locked with her, "Alright Claire, is there anything I can do to help you out of this form?"

Slowly she nodded, gesturing towards a small drawstring sack that lay discarded on the icy ground. With a wave of his hand, Michael summoned the sack to him, untying the string and releasing a small corked vial from the bag. "You need to drink this?" He asked calmly earning him a shaky nod from Claire, before uncorking the vial and handing it to her. She gripped the vial tightly, but her trembling hand had made her grip weak. Not sure what else to do, Michael placed his hands atop Claire's pressing firmly against them to stop the tremors as he began moving the vial to her lips.

Whatever the potion had tasted like, Michael imagined that it could not have been good as a gagging sound erupted from Claire's throat before to his horror, the girl bent over grabbing her stomach tightly as she collapsed to the floor and began rolling in pain. Michael watched in fright as it looked like the girl was being asphyxiated, her hands gripping firmly around the feathers that coated her neck. However, much to his surprise, he watched as the beak that had once been so prominently displayed on her face had returned to her normal buttoned nose and the feathers that had coated her skin had completely disappeared.

A ragged breath filled the air and rapidly, Michael dropped to his knees beside the girl clasping her hand as her weak grey eyes stared into his, "Thank you, for helping me."

"I didn't feel like I helped much if I'm being honest," Michael said with a weak grin, "Almost thought I lost you there."

"You didn't run, you didn't even freak out when you saw me." Michael watched as Claire eyed him in confusion, "Why didn't you leave, it's not like we're friends or anything, in fact, I've been nothing but cold to you this whole time."

"I don't know, guess I've been spending too much time around Harry maybe," Michael said with a sigh, "It's honestly such a pain, but I couldn't just leave you there, especially when it looked like you were in so much pain."

"Michael, what the hell are you doing talking to that thing?" Boot called out, "You saw her, she almost killed us." Then a sinister look crossed his face and Michael felt queasy just looking at the toxic grin that had found its way on the Ravenclaw's face, "Actually, better idea. You're some big shot model right, how much would you be willing to pay to keep your animal side secret, I'd imagine quite a bit, am I right?"

A look of fear that Michael had never seen before in anyone fell across Claire's face as desperately she pleaded, "Please, don't, I-"

"Don't worry about it," Michael said as he turned to face Boot, "He's not going to say a word about your transformation."

"Oh yeah," Boot taunted, "And why's that?"

"Simple," Michael said drawing his wand from his pocket, "You're not going to remember seeing it… Stupefy!"

With a thud, Boot's body had found itself stunned and slumped back against a tree, "Michael!" Claire shouted in shock, "What are you doing! You could get in so much trouble if you-"

"Relax," Michael said, "I can handle this." Slowly he trudged through the snow, his mind focused on everything he'd read that summer on the basics of obliviating and carefully he lifted his wand at the boy. Slowly, he began to rotate his wand, and with a whisper, he spoke, "Obliviate." Magic is all about intent, he recalled eliminating everything he could from the moment they left the Centaur Colony to now, and when he had felt his objective completed, he released his held breath with a heavy sigh, "Alright, It's done."

"Why did you do it?" Claire asked, "Why did you go so far out of your way to help me?"

"It's not very much like me is it?" Michael said, "I don't know, but the idea of seeing you weeping on the floor, begging for someone to help you, it just didn't sit well with me. I guess I just don't want you to stop being the major pain in my side I've gotten so used to over these past few months." An intrigued look seemed to glaze across Claire's eyes as Michael smiled levitating Boot's stunned body into the air behind him, "Come on," He called out offering the girl his hand, "Lean on me, we've got a bit of walking to do before we're out of this forest, and it's getting way too cold to hang around here any longer. Let's head back, Pretty Bird."

(Astoria P.O.V)

"No, no, no, Master Harry," Astoria overheard the elderly elf call out as she worked on her spells in the distance, "When you do wandless magic, you have to think of your whole hand as a wand, not each finger. Fingers are just something to make the spell work. You won't make your wandless magic stronger if you aren't focusing."

"I'm really trying here Kreacher," Harry said with a sigh, "But it's a lot harder than it looks."

"Master Harry just has to stop being lazy and really try," Kreacher snapped back and at that point, Astoria couldn't help but laugh at the sight she had been witnessing. Not only was the tiny and old elf standing up and looking down at Harry. Harry had taken a crisscrossed seating position on the ground like a child being disciplined by their parents.

Harry's eyes met hers and though she had tried to contain her chuckling, part of it still slipped out as Harry quipped back in a playful tone, "What's so funny Short Stack? Do you want to try your hand at wandless, wordless, magic?"

"Come on Harry," Astoria said a smile beaming across her face, "You have to admit it looks kinda funny to see you for once having orders barked at."

"Laugh it up Short Stack," Harry said rising from the ground as he glanced over at Kreacher, "Let me take a quick five-minute break and I'll get back to work on developing a stronger shielding charm, okay?" Kreacher nodded, once more taking his role as Harry's servant before she watched the raven-haired boy walk ever closer, "Alright Short Stack," Harry started, "If you have time to be laughing at me, that must mean you have your charm down perfectly, right?"

"My training can't be going any worse than yours," Astoria replied through a snicker, "But if you want to see what I got, I think that you better be prepared to be blown away because this time you're going to see a full-scale corporeal Patronus. Just watch." Slowly Astoria closed her eyes as she focused on her memory of choice, it was last year, when she, Harry, and Daphne had all finally gone flying together. It was the first time in a long time that she'd really felt alive, and if that memory wasn't going to work, nothing would.

Her teeth grit with determination as she planted her feet and lifted her wand before with a voice brimming with passion, Astoria shouted, "Expecto Patronum!" Instantly a white mist formed at the tip of her wand but she'd learned from her past mistakes, simply shoveling more magic into her wand wouldn't work, she needed to focus on the feeling of happiness her memory had given her, she needed to focus on how truly alive she felt. Even through her closed eyelids, she could see the light of the Patronus getting brighter and brighter.

All sounds of movement within the training room had come to a close before she heard Harry begin clapping slowly from behind, "Amazing Astoria, absolutely amazing, keep this up and you might just outshine me." With pride, Astoria opened her eyes and if possible, the smile on her face grew even larger than before as a full-fledged Falcon soared throughout the room coated in a white mist. "Expecto Patronum!" She heard Harry whisper from behind her and soon, his familiar crow had caught up beside her falcon the two Patronuses engaged in what almost looked like a race.

Laughter filled Astoria's lungs as she followed her conjured bird around the training room while Daphne, Tracey, and Blaise, Fourth Years who had still not been able to develop their own corporeal forms watched on in sheer amazement, "You really are something else Short-Stack," Harry said warmly, "Mind you, in the presence of a dementor, conjuring your Patronus wouldn't be as easy, but knowing how you are, and with enough practice, I'd say you'll have this spell truly mastered in no time."

Astoria had wanted to smile at her big brother's praise, but suddenly, it felt as if someone had stabbed a knife into her chest, and instantly, the warm glow of her falcon vanished without a trace. It had only been for a split second, but the pain was undeniably intense, and a feeling of lightheadedness overwhelmed her as she dropped to her knees. "Astoria!" She heard Harry call out in concern rushing to her side, "Are you okay? You're not hurt are you?"

It can't be the curse, Astoria thought to herself, her pupils trembling at the thought, I'm still supposed to have time, another decade at least. She bit down hard on her lip trying to calm her thoughts, No, maybe it was just exhaustion, maybe I used up too much magic. Yes, that has to be it, of course it-, "Astoria," She heard Harry repeat with an even shakier tone, "Your nose, it's bleeding."

With a wave of his wand, Harry quickly conjured a small towel to place at her nose as Daphne ran towards the two of them a clear panic in her eyes, "Astoria, are you okay? Do you need me to take you to the Hospital Wing? I can go get-"

"I'm fine, sis," She said as firmly as she could, "I just got a little lightheaded from too much magic use is all, the Patronus Charm is a real killer in that regard."

"Then what about your nose, huh?" Daphne argued back from a place of pure concern, after all, she knew the truth of her condition probably even better than herself, and yet, she couldn't bear to tell her how scared she was feeling, especially not since her sister had been acting as a support beam for Harry who was definitely in more immediate danger than herself.

"I wasn't really paying attention where I was walking earlier and ran into a pillar," Astoria lied, "It was bleeding a bit then, but I thought it was done by the time I got here. Guess I was wrong," She finished playfully, "Really, I'm okay, it's just a bloody nose."

"I'm sure she's okay, Daphne," Harry said breaking the tension, "But I think all of us are a bit exhausted after today, and with Neville and Hermione working on this project and Michael being out in the forest tonight, there's no real point in setting up a sparing bracket. We'll just practice some more tomorrow, let's call it a night. Okay, Short Stack?"

"Yeah," Astoria said doing the best she could to keep the uncertainty out of her voice, "That sounds like a good idea."