Warm, Bright Sunlight
The sunlight was too bright.
He squinted against the blinding rays and turned away from the attic window. He had always loved the sun, always felt warm and happy—it had never given him a headache before.
It was with relief when he heard his friend walk into the room. "Hey there, mate, are you alright?"
He huffed and laid his head against the floorboards. It suddenly felt much too heavy to lift, and he settled instead for turning his eyes to the window.
Understanding seemed to overshadow the concern lying within his friend's green eyes, and he strode over to the window. He tugged the curtains over the glass and the light was suddenly gone.
"Is that better for you?"
His head was still throbbing. All he could manage was another snort.
"I'll go and fetch you some dinner, alright?"
He closed his eyes and soon he could feel the man's footsteps vibrating across the floor.
The food was repulsive.
The smell of the carcass wafted through the room, causing his stomach to churn. He wasn't sure why; just a few moments before, he had been craving the meat. Or was it a few hours ago? He stared at his dinner. It seemed to be a bigger portion than he was used to. How was he supposed to chew it?
"Please eat something," a voice said.
His whole body ached. Cocking an eye up at the boy, it took a moment to remember who had brought him his meal. The boy looked very much like the dark-haired man with his messy hair and green eyes.
"Please?"
Turning his eyes back to the bowl of food in front of him, he snorted.
Their voices were so loud.
Didn't anyone understand that he just wanted to sleep?
"Mummy, what's wrong with him?"
Opening one eye, he watched as the small red-headed girl tugged on her mother's clothes.
He didn't appreciate the girl staring at him. He shuddered as her sticky hand touched him, the soft strokes sending shivers up his spine.
"Ouch!"
He blinked. He had never bitten anyone before—he was more of a scratcher.
"Ginny, take Lily out. I don't know what's gotten into him but it's best not to provoke him," the man said. He then turned to him with tears in his green eyes. "Please get better."
The light was bright.
Oh so bright, but he didn't mind. He felt warm, comfortable—safe.
He closed his eyes and allowed his breathing to slow down. He could hear someone else breathing just beside him, a hand resting on his back. He didn't bite it though, not this time. The hand was reassuring, even if it was occasionally accompanied by drops of water.
The light was beckoning him and he imagined himself soaring towards it.
Just before he reached it, he could hear a soft voice encouraging him onwards.
"Goodbye and good luck, Buckbeak. You were the best Hippogriff a man could ask for."
Author's Notes: This story was written for The Houses Competition forum:
House: Gryffindor
Year/Position: Third year
Category: Drabble
Prompt(s): [Creature] Hippogriff
Word count: 492 words (according to Google Docs and )
I'm sure there are much better stories out there dealing with Buckbeak's death, but I hope you enjoyed (or, well, didn't hate) this take on it :) I will hopefully have it beta'd and ready for proper submission in the next day or so, but if you see something that doesn't quite make sense, please do let me know so I can fix it. Thanks!
