Chapter 13

"The Omen Fulfilled"

They didn't find a cave to escape the rain. Rather, they tromped through the forest rather ungracefully until the rain stopped and the heat became nigh unbearable. Even Severus, who was extremely private when it came to his body, was stripping off just like Ron and Bill. Clad in their trousers and not much else, the three warily trekked through the woods. Severus was immensely grateful Ron didn't comment on his scars, merely glanced at them and never said a word. Then again, Ron was a knight who had fought in many battles. He'd probably seen much worse.

"Aren't you a mess! Did you wrestle with a thorn bush?" Then again, maybe Severus had been too quick to acclaim Ron.

"Most would keep their opinions to themselves, Ronald," he hissed dangerously, grabbing his whip for emphasis.

"What are you on about?" Ron replied confusedly.

"Three guesses as to who the stupid one is in the group, and the first two don't count!"

"Shut up, Bill!" Ron replied heatedly.

"I didn't say anything!" Bill responded. Keen black eyes scanned the ground and their surroundings. Finally, Severus spotted an overgrown ferret.

"Ah, I suspected as much. Look, it's a Jarvey," Severus said, relaxing somewhat.

"Oh, that explains it then," Ron said, uninterestedly.

"What's a Jarvey?" Bill asked curiously, leaning over to examine the large rodent more closely. The Jarvey blew a raspberry at him and disappeared into a log. Ron looked surprised for a moment, then remembered.

"You'd already left Hogsmede when it happened. We had a Jarvey infestation – swept the whole village. Everyone was brawling because everyone kept thinking someone had insulted them. That's what a Jarvey does. They spit out insults. Can't have conversations with them, though. They aren't smart enough for that."

"Alright, I'm not smart enough to carry on a decent conversation, but what's your excuse?" the Jarvey replied from somewhere inside the log. Severus smirked at Ron and continued onward.

"The rodent brings up an excellent question," he quipped, leaving Ron to mutter angrily to himself as he followed behind. They'd only gone a few paces, working through the thick underbrush, when out of nowhere a giant plant tried to take a bite out of Bill. The red head jumped back, and Ron rushed forward, slicing the plant's head off cleanly. Severus looked delighted.

"It's a man-eating Venus! Fascinating plant. I've been trying to cultivate one in my garden for years…" Bill and Ron shared a disbelieving look as Severus began to pluck parts off the plant, storing them in his bag happily.

Smirking slightly, Ron leaned in towards Bill and whispered, "You know, I think that's the first time I've seen him look happy. Ever."

"You know how it goes. Some like them blonde, some like them brunette, some like them six foot tall oozing poisonous goo."

"I'm laughing inside, really I am," Severus drawled, arching an eyebrow at them and pulling back a branch to let them pass. He unceremoniously let it loose and it slapped Ron on the back of the head. "How clumsy of me."

They continued onwards a bit more lighthearted, their omen of death all but forgotten.

"Woah – did you see that? What was that thing?" Ron asked in a quick whisper. The thing in question was a giant bird that had swooped down in front of them and then landed on a high tree branch, preening his plumage.

"That's a Fwooper – beautiful specimen," Bill commented, appreciation in his voice.

"I've never seen a bird that color," Ron replied, clearly amazed by the vivid orange and pink plumage. "He looks like a sunset," Ron added.

"They make extremely expensive quills out of their feathers, and some people even have them as pets. You have to keep a silencing charm on them, though, because their song will make you go insane."

They continued on like that, narrowly avoiding pits of quick sand and the man-eating flowers, pointing out rare beasts that they recognized. If it weren't for the heat and the blood sucking mosquitoes that seemed to be multiplying by the second, it would have been a pleasurable hike.

Soon, the rush of water drowned out all sound, and the three of them pressed forward eagerly. A dunk under a cool waterfall sounded luxurious. All three stopped in their tracks once they reached the waterfall.

It was perhaps the most beautiful thing Severus had ever seen, with the exception of the memories he had of his mother. The snowy unicorn was ethereal in its beauty. It was drinking serenely of the crystal clear water, the waterfall reflecting a hazy rainbow over the tranquil scene. When it heard their approach, rather than running off, it gazed up at them demurely. Yet again, Severus was struck by the hauntingly beautiful green eyes the animal had. Was this yet another sign of fate? The unicorn filled him with a feeling of life and contentment that he could barely remember feeling once upon a time, many years ago.

They stood completely still, lost in each other's eyes, until the unicorn let out a pitiful cry and stumbled into the water. A long, silver arrow was stuck in her graceful neck. Another one shot into her flank. Thinking quickly, Severus pulled Ron and Bill back into the foliage and watched to see if the hunter would emerge. Sure enough, a Deatheater slinked out of the surrounding forest opposite them, his mask hanging off to reveal his hideously ugly face. He held the bow in his hands, a grotesque look of pride distorting his features.

"I've got you, my pretty!" He cowed, pulling a large glass vial out of his bag and wading through the crystal pool towards the fallen unicorn. He had begun to let a few drops dribble into the glass, when Bill freed himself from Severus's hold and rushed forward, lance slashing. He knocked the Deatheater over the head, sending him reeling back in the water. He was not that easily stopped though, and he sprung back up, managing to fling Bill's lance away from him. The two dove at each other in hand to hand combat, struggling to drown one another in the pool. Severus rushed out then, followed by Ron, and immediately went to the unicorn's side. He pulled out a general wound healing potion, the fastest, strongest one he had, and doused it liberally over the two arrow wounds. Combined with the healing magic the unicorn already possessed, the wounds closed over instantly and she jumped to her feet. In thanks, she butted her velvety nose against Severus's cheek, then dashed from the waterfall. Bill had managed to overcome the Deatheater and carried his corpse to the side of the pool, his face still contorted in anger. He was breathing hard, his hands shaking.

"I've never been so angry in all my life," he explained, scowling deeply. Ron patted him on the back, then began to inspect the Deatheater. He took the finely crafted bow and arrows, along with the man's bag. He flipped it open, cursing when he saw all the bottles inside.

"Looks like he was planning on draining the poor animal dry. Any ideas why, Severus?" Ron asked, showing him the bag of glass containers. Severus, who was still standing knee deep in the pool gazing distractedly after the unicorn, snapped back to the present.

"Unicorn blood gives the drinker near immortality and unbeatable strength – at the price of corrupting your soul. It was for Voldemort, to give him an advantage during our battle."

"You are ze Chosen One, zen," a melodious voice said. Through the trees came a figure almost as enchanting as the unicorn. The Veela rode on a pure white, winged horse. Her long blonde hair fell down her back in softly sculpted waves. Her features were perfect, her figure flawless.

Bill forgot his anger and his mouth dropped open limply. The girl giggled at him, raising a hand to her mouth to cover the bubbling sound. She neatly dismounted and approached Ron, holding out her hand for the bow.

"McNair stole zis from me. Ze Veela people have been trying to capture him for weeks. He has been living in ze forest, slaying our creatures, and trying to hunt ze unicorns. I was pursuing him several days ago when I took a nasty fall. While I was unconscious, he stole my bow and left me for dead. Of course, my people found me quickly after. You are not Veela, but the reward for his capture still stands. Come, I will take you to my father."

Ron nodded absently. After his brief moment of stunned awe, he was no longer affected by her beauty. Severus was equally uninterested. Bill was a drooling, stuttering mass of lovesick puppy.

She giggled at Bill, leaning over slightly and offering him a hand. He let her pull him up, so that they were standing very close to one another.

"You are quite ze hero. I'm Fleur, Princess of ze Veela. Who are you?"

Bill managed to recover himself enough to choke out his name.

Fleur smiled, nearly causing Bill to go into cardiac arrest, then turned and let out a loud whistle. There was the rustle of wings and then the soft thud of horse hooves.

"Ze winged horses have been tamed by my people. Zey come when we call. Choose a mount. It will carry you to my home."

Ron instantly approached the winged horse that most closely resembled the horse he'd left behind in Bloom. He was a tall chestnut, proud and strong looking just like Ron's usual mount. Bill chose the white one closest to Fleur's horse. Severus started to approach the one closest to him, but then another caught his eye.

Slowly, Severus passed up the others and quietly held his hand out. The enormous black horse pawed at the ground once, restlessly. It's body was covered in scars that mirrored Severus's. He snorted, then reared up almost aggressively. Severus held his ground, his palm still extended. Upon seeing that he couldn't be frightened away, the mighty horse pushed his large nose against Severus's hand and puffed out a great breath of air. Severus grimaced distastefully and wiped the hand on his trousers. The horse butted his nose up against Severus's chest in acceptance, and lowered his front half to the ground so that Severus could mount him.

"Zat is ze most amazing thing! He is an outsider from the rest of the herd. He answers to no Veela. He seems to have chosen ze Chosen One!" Fleur giggled again, a sound like falling rain, and kicked her horse into the air. Bill and Ron quickly followed, and finally Severus's mount took a few powerful strides and then leapt into the air like a rocket. His wings spread out magnificently. A few powerful down beats and he was soaring higher than the others, his tail and man unfurling behind him like a giant black banner.

For the first time, seeing Severus riding so comfortably, his scarred chest gleaming in the sun, his hair flying out behind him, Ron truly believed he might stand a chance against Voldemort. He was finally beginning to look like a warrior. Ron wished the citizens of Hogsmede could seem him as he looked now – spiraling through the air proud and strong. It had seemed so unlikely, but there was no denying it now. Severus had become a hero.

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A/N: These past few chapters have covered some of my favorite animals out of Mystical Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander (a.k.a. J.K. Rowling). I particularly liked the Augurey a few chapters back. It said in the book that they cried mournfully right before rain would come, but for a long time wizards believed their cry meant death. Well, McNair died, and it rained, so who can be entirely sure? Hopefully, it heightened the suspense nicely, though. I also included the Jarvey, because those just sounded so cool (and it reminded me of Draco – an overgrown ferret that insults people), and the Fwooper, because that seemed like something you'd see in a tropical rain forest. Unicorns are always nice, and of course, what's a hero without a mysterious black flying horse?