DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter.
Written for Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition: Round 4
Team: Kenmare Kestrels
Position: Seeker
Prompt: Write from a thestral's viewpoint.
My hooves pound against the muddy ground as I run, shaking off drops of rain. I raise my head to the stormy sky and neigh furiously, nostrils flaring.
I hear screams behind me. Human voices. I can't understand what they're saying, but I know one thing.
They will kill me.
The footsteps are getting closer. I flee faster, trying to gain speed. Opening my wings, I take off, fighting against the mighty wind. It is a fierce battle, but I will win. I always win.
The clouds blanket me, their cold wisps reaching out gently to caress me. I look down and see the humans raise sticks.
A flash of red misses me, but only by a sliver. I hold my breath as I pivot and fly the other way, dodging the streaks of light. I screw my eyes shut against the rain and push forward.
I look down once more. The humans are gone. I let out a relieved sigh, breathing heavily. I win.
I fly down quickly, landing in a small clearing. A blond girl awaits me there, pieces of meat hanging tantalizingly from her hand. I canter forward and nudge her cheek.
The girl smiles. She throws a piece of meat to the far corner, and I gallop to get it. I chew it hungrily, savoring the rough feel of it against my tongue. The girl walks to me and reaches out to stroke my head.
Her strokes are like feathers, soft and gentle. Soothing. I close my eyes and lean into her touch. I wish I could stay here forever, nuzzled into her protective arms.
I hear a rustling erupt behind us and turn my head. Two humans burst through, panting. They each hold a stick in their hand, both pointed towards me. They say something to the girl, and she shakes her head defiantly.
I get up onto my legs and prepare to run. The girl stands up in front of me as if she can shield me.
I try to push her out of the way. Countless have died because me, and I will not allow her to accept the same fate.
"Let her die," a voice croons in my head. "Run and leave her." The voice is insistent. I shake my head. "You can stay safe. She's just a human. Leave." Tendrils of persuasion wrap around my head, sending me into a slight dizziness. I have an urge to run this moment.
I nudge the girl, trying to tell her to climb onto my back. The two humans advance on us, teeth bared in a feral gesture. The girl turns to look at me, her blue eyes startled. I nudge her again. She nods.
The girl pulls out a stick, similar to the ones the other humans are holding. She says something, her voice pleading. The other humans' faces grow grim. She glares at them, and, before they can do anything, swings onto my back with ease and yells for me to run.
I break into a swift gallop, nostrils flaring as I run through the forest, weaving in and out of the trees. The humans run behind us, and the girl urges me on.
I skid to a stop as we come face to face with another human. We are surrounded now. I canter in a circle, looking for a way to escape.
The humans all have their sticks out, and lights shoot toward us. The girl slides off my back and holds her stick, a shield of blue light coming into existence around us. The lights are blocked, but the shield wavers slightly.
I hold my breath. Tears fill the girl's eyes a the shield is broken. She turns to gaze at me and manages a weak smile. "Foolish. Now you will die," the voice says, ringing with disapproval.
I neigh wildly and raise on two legs, brandishing my hooves. I kick a human back, and he roars, eyes wild with fury. The girl steps forward and shouts something. I can hear the desperation that tinges her voice.
A human walks forward and another light shoots from his stick. It hits the girl's chest, and the girl falls down, her eyes still wide open.
Iron chains are thrown onto me. I cry out. The humans direct their sticks to me. I am hit by the light and freeze. One of the humans laughs derisively. I try to move, but it's as if my limbs have been frozen, unable to make any motion.
This is it. I'm going to die now.
"Mother!" I shout. We are surrounded by humans.
I am only a young thestral, my legs still unable to support myself. My mother pushed me beneath her wing, forcing me to lean into her skeletal frame. I shiver, screwing my eyes shut as the humans' yells fill my ears.
My mother neighs frantically. Her eyes are fixed on the sticks that the humans brandish. I peek out from behind her wing, trying to find out what's happening.
A human raises his stick, screams something, and a green light speeds towards my mother. My eyes widen as it strikes her chest. My heart races.
My mother falls limp, her black eyes vacant of the liveliness that had once filled them. I bray loudly, declaring my grief to the sky. I stumble out from under her wing and run, going unnoticed by the humans.
Now I will die too. The green light will come again, and I will fall dead like my mother.
The humans yell something. The green light speeds towards me. I brace myself for the impact. It strikes me and a cold feeling envelops me.
I welcome it.