A/N: This was written for the Houses Competition, Year Four, Round One! Slytherin House, Year: Head Boy, Drabble, Prompt: [Animal] Stag/Doe. Word count: 312
Harry was so close to dying... he could feel the Dementors sucking out not only his soul, but his will, his will to fight, or to flee... there would be no escape from them, this is where Harry's life would end. And he hadn't been able to protect Sirius, who was lying unconscious on the ground next to him.
At least he would go out easy.
Harry closed his eyes as the cold seeped in, his eyelids suddenly a heavy weight that he didn't have the energy to keep open. His limbs went lax and, despite the despair, it felt a lot like he was falling asleep. Maybe he could just... give up?
There came a thundering of hooves, as if from a massive beast, and Harry half-expected to be trampled to death, dementors be damned.
Instead of being trampled, though, the dementors gave out a blood-curdling screech, which grew fainter as they either died or flew away, though it was hard to tell which.
Harry felt his strength returning slowly. He cracked open an eye, wanting to see what it was that made the Dementors go away.
There was a stag standing before him, looking at him almost fondly. It bent its head down to sniff at Harry, nose nuzzling his head.
"What's going on?" Harry muttered to himself, mouth dry. Behind him, there was some coughing as Sirius woke up.
The stag walked over to him.
"James?" Sirius asked in wonderment, looking dazzled and bewildered.
Harry wondered how delirious Sirius was, if he was mistaking an animal –a deer, for heaven's sake- for Harry's father.
The deer nuzzled Sirius as well, before bounding away, and as Harry's eyes tracked it, he saw a figure in the woods, standing far off.
Harry blinked, and it was gone, but he could have sworn that the figure was his dad, smiling at him.