The heavy snow blanketing the grounds by the next morning signaled the ever-passing time before Christmas vacation — meaning that it was only after seeing the sea of white outside that it really clicked in how quickly time was passing me by.
Seraphina had confirmed my worries that dad expected me to bring two of my best underlings along for the Azkaban breakout.. as a way of showcasing my ability to lead. And — to make matters worse — he expected me to leave school immediately following his command whenever he decided to issue it… something both Severus and Seraphina were having trouble compromising with either dad or Dumbledore.
Dad wanted Seraphina and I at his side at his every beck and call as fast as if we actually were his followers rather than allies. He specifically stated that he was going to need me a few days before Christmas vacation to come — I repeat, as he so stated — 'home.' Something felt off about it to me, though… as though he had another plan he was setting in motion, and he just wanted to show off my eagerness to assist him.
Either way, Dumbledore wanted to wait until vacation actually started, so it didn't look like I was getting special treatment due to my situation. It was bad enough that Seraphina had taken me off the grounds without permission once before, he didn't need for me to disappear more often to cause questions to be asked.
As I waited for the results of the back and forth arguments Severus and Seraphina went through with each other, I attempted to focus on who would best learn Occlumency.
It seemed rash to try to teach Occlumency to everyone with only about a month left remaining before we'd all be gone for a two week vacation — longer for me if Dumbledore ever relented his iron will for me to wait.
In the end, I figured if I were to have to choose anyone in particular to teach.. that I wanted Becky and Draco to learn so they could come with me for the prison breakout. I had spent far too long doing everything for my dad on my own without either of their knowledge, and it felt like the best I could offer them was to bring them along.
"Yes!" Becky raised a triumphant fist into the air as I explained it to them on Sunday afternoon in the common room. "Of course we'll come with you! I'll learn Occlumency in a minute! Let's get started right now!"
Draco groaned from his position leaning against the wall, arms crossed over his chest. "We have a month to learn it. Why don't we enjoy the weather for once? It just snowed outside!"
Becky eyed him over her shoulder, "The sooner we learn it, the sooner we can go outside and enjoy the rest of the month."
"But who knows when we'll finish?" he whined, gesturing to the large window viewing the frozen lake we were under. "All work and no play makes for —"
"Melody," she blatantly ignored him to turn to me with a dumbfounded look on her face, "what on earth do you see in this weasel? At the rate he's been going, even with practice, all he wants to do is slack off."
"Hey, I do not!" Draco retorted before I could say anything. "I just needed one break! You kept using that stupid tickling spell on me!"
"Because the enemy doesn't give anyone a break, you idiot!"
"It was only practice, Figgy, there was no need to take it so seriously!"
"Stop calling me Figgy!"
I sighed with a humored chuckle, bringing their attention back to me. "What am I going to do if you two keep going at each other like this? Not exactly something presentable to take home to my dad, you know."
Becky pointed wildly at Draco, "That's his issue! He's the one that's supposed to prove some type of worth — it's what a boyfriend is supposed to do with a girl's father! I'm just there to show what a bad influence I am!"
I couldn't help my snort, failing to hold back my laughter. "You make it sound like this is going to be a normal visit. My dad is not going to be anything like your parents, Becky."
"Right, idiot," Draco managed to grit out before dodging Becky's attempt to whack him. He was behind me before she could try again, wrapping both arms around my waist and resting his chin on my shoulder as he continued talking. "Besides, I've been trained by my father on how to properly address the Dark Lord. Impressing him is nothing I can't do."
His breath against my ear gave a spine-chilling, ticklish sensation throughout my body that caused me to involuntarily shiver. It was hard to get a proper grasp on why such things could cause sensations like that but, I had to say, it was rather off-putting. How could I focus properly on anything with such distractions?
My cheeks burned as I asked, "Do you have to do things like this?"
I could literally hear the smirk in his response as his grip tightened, "Things like what?"
The chill ran through me again, and I wriggled hopelessly in his grip. "You know exactly what I'm talking about! Why are you talking next to my ear?"
Becky answered, "Because he possesses a severe lack of shame for his use of underhanded tactics. Knowing I won't hit him with you in the way, and that he can get you to do what he wants."
Draco chuckled, the chill resonating deeper through my spine. "It's not like I knew her ear would be so sensitive, but I'll use whatever I can…. Is it working? I believe we could have just one day to enjoy the snow outside, and for the rest of the month we can learn Occlumency until our brains bleed."
"If I agree, will you put your chin on my head like a normal person?" I suddenly realized how weird that sounded after I said it, my cheeks burning even more if possible.
"That'll work," he blessedly moved his head as requested, resting it comfortably on my head.
"You let him get away with too much," Becky said disapprovingly as I sighed in contentment.
"It's not just because of him," I admitted, absent-mindedly running a gentle hand over Draco's arms as I talked. "I already think one day of letting loose is a great idea. I'm sure the twins must be outside bewitching snowballs as we speak, waiting for you to join in. We could use a day to relax… rather, I certainly could."
Becky's shoulders drooped sympathetically, "You're worried."
"Yeah… I just hope everything goes smoothly… it all rests on how quickly the two of you can figure Occlumency out."
I couldn't see Draco's face, of course, but I could tell by the look Becky gave him that they were both determined to help. I had never been more grateful to have them as my friends than at that moment before we ran outside to fully enjoy the beginning of winter.
Monday morning started off sour for Draco as he gloomily stared at the staff table during breakfast.
Professor Hagrid had returned. And we had his Care of Magical Creatures class to go to.
It was only after we trudged through the thick snow to his cabin that I could see he'd had to have gone through something terrible. Cuts and bruises all over his face and hands proved ill taken care of and slowly healing as bruises were a mix of green and yellow, and certain cuts were bleeding as if he'd only just moments before gotten scratched by something ferocious.
The half-giant — happy as ever to be back to work — held what seemed to be a half of a dead cow over his shoulder. "We're workin' in here today!" he exclaimed to all of us, using his head to gesture to the forest looming behind him. "Bit more sheltered! Anyway, they prefer the dark…."
Both Becky's and Draco's grips on my arms tightened as they stared back at the professor in bewilderment. Draco's was a lot tighter though as I stiffened from the pain of their arms squeezing me like boa constrictors.
I looked over my shoulder at Vincent and Greg with a pleading look on my face. "Help," I wheezed.
They shrugged, not even bothering to try — Greg merely chuckled as I glared at them.
Draco didn't bother to hold back his feelings of panic, turning between me and the lost boys behind us. "What prefers the dark? What did he say prefers the dark — did you hear?"
"He didn't say," Becky replied in just as much panic. "What if he's leading us in there to get devoured?"
If possible, both of their grips only tightened.
That jumpstarted me into forcefully wriggling my way out of their grasps with extreme difficulty. "Get — a — hold — of — yourselves," I gasped, finally loosening myself from their arms. I took a few deep breaths before finishing, "He couldn't be that reckless."
They both gave me looks that said, 'are you serious?'
I couldn't even give any more reassurances than that, as their panic was quite understandable. It just wasn't fair to me as I got stuck in their embraces again, sighing as I relinquished any fight I might've had left.
Professor Hagrid looked giddily around at all the students. "Ready? Right, well, I've bin savin' a trip inter the forest fer yer fifth year. Thought we'd go an' see these creatures in their natural habitat. Now, what we're studyin' today is pretty rare, I reckon I'm probably the on'y person in Britain who's managed ter train 'em —"
Draco had to interrupt, the panic settling itself more deeply into his posture and voice. "And you're sure they're trained, are you? Only it wouldn't be the first time you'd brought wild stuff to class, would it?"
Mainly Slytherins muttered their agreement, but even a few Gryffindors seemed to share the same opinion.
Awkward.
Professor Hagrid scowled at him, pushing the dead meat on his shoulder into a more comfortable position, "'Course they're trained."
"So what happened to your face, then?"
That struck a furious nerve in the gamekeeper. "Mind yer own business! Now if yeh've finished askin' stupid questions, follow me!" He led the way into the forest, the golden trio leading the rest of us behind them.
"What do you think it'll be?" Draco whispered.
"I don't know," Becky replied shakily.
"What if it's werewolves?"
"Oh, honestly," I said with an exasperated laugh. "Werewolves aren't even transformed during the day, let alone when it's not even a full moon. Relax."
Becky hugged me tighter, "Protect us, Melody."
I grumbled grimly, knowing full well that Becky was only doing it to mock Draco… not that he'd realize it until later. Any magic I knew as fifth year basic, she could just as well… Unless she really is terrified?
The thought had me staring curiously down at her. When she glanced up at me and winked, I found my answer.
After about a ten minute walk, we reached a part of the forest where the trees stood so close together that the area was as dark as if it were already nightfall. The ground was free of snow, and the air was eerily quiet.
With a minor grunt of effort, Professor Hagrid placed the cow meat on the ground before stepping back and turning to face us again. On studying my classmates, I noticed most of them had each found a tree to hide themselves behind, only poking their heads out to look at him…. I was Becky and Draco's tree…
Professor Hagrid gestured encouragingly to everyone. "Gather roun', gather roun'. Now, they'll be attracted by the smell o' the meat but I'm goin' ter give 'em a call anyway, 'cause they'll like ter know it's me…."
I was perhaps the only one that had a hard time holding back my barrage of snickers as Professor Hagrid turned toward the center, shook his head slightly to get his tangled hair out of his face, and let out a resounding shriek at the top of his lungs. Everyone else seemed to be too scared to find the humor in it so I held it in at the best of my ability.
He shrieked again, everyone looking nervously around in wait for whatever he was calling to show up. I had to even hold back a gasp as Draco's hold on me tightened once more when he quickly turned to look behind us, as though making sure nothing snuck up on us. Becky followed suit just as dramatically, leaving me gasping for strength trying to keep standing straight with all their weight on me.
It was as Professor Hagrid readied up to do it again that I finally saw what we were waiting for.
A thestral slowly approached the area. A skeletal black horse with wings and a dragon-like face walked over to the meat Professor Hagrid had brought, its pure white eyes unblinkingly eyeing it with hunger. It stared around at us, its skinny black tail whipping back and forth uncertainly, and then bent down to chew away at the meat with sharp fangs.
A thestral — I learned from Severus in my second year — could only be seen by those who'd watched someone die. I'd witnessed our first Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Quirrell, die at the end of our first year at Hogwarts so it was no surprise that I'd been able to see them for a long while. They were the creatures pulling the carriages of second years and above to the castle from the Hogwarts train.
On looking around, I knew practically no one else could actually see it. Everyone still stared blankly around, especially Draco as he continued his panicked search. Becky eyed the meat curiously, apparently noticing the meat being torn at, but obviously not seeing the culprit.
The only other people besides Professor Hagrid and myself who were actually watching the thestral were Blaise — who stood behind Greg, eyeing the thestral with barely hidden distaste — Harry Potter, of course, and… Gryffindor student Neville Longbottom.
Neville I had no knowledge of, but Harry I could understand. I don't believe he was completely conscious to see Quirrell's death.. however… just half a year before, he did see the death of Cedric Diggory. My father handled that one not too long before mom went to go see him….
I watched as Harry excitedly turned to Ron.. who still stared at the trees around all of us with curiosity along with everyone else.
Professor Hagrid puffed with pride as a new thestral also came over for the meat. "Oh, an' here comes another one! Now… put yer hands up, who can see 'em?"
Harry was faster, tossing his hand in the air with pride.
"Yeah… yeah, I knew you'd be able ter, Harry."
Draco looked around more frantically, Becky copying his movements. "See what? What are they? Where are they?"
Neville and Blaise hesitantly raised their own hands. I… was pretty tied up as I attempted to raised a hand — both of which were weighed down by the two cowering next to me.
"Can I have my arms?" I snapped, waving my arms to such a degree of straining my muscles until I was finally able to wrench free. I raised one aching arm to Professor Hagrid's acknowledgement. "Jeez Becky, for pretending to be scared, you sure have a knack for great acting."
Becky giggled as Draco glared daggers at the back of her skull.
Professor Hagrid continued, "An' you too, Neville, eh? An' Melody an' —"
"Excuse me," Draco sneered, ignoring Becky's decidedly innocent face for the time being, "but what exactly are we supposed to be seeing?"
Professor Hagrid pointed at the meat, finally bringing everyone's attention to the flesh slowly disappearing from view as I so imagined. Many gasped, but a girl from Gryffindor screeched in terror.
"What's doing it? What's eating it?" she asked trepidly.
"Thestrals," Professor Hagrid answered. "Hogwarts has got a whole herd of 'em in here. Now, who knows —?"
"But they're really, really unlucky! They're supposed to bring all sorts of horrible misfortune on people who see them. Professor Trelawney told me once —"
Professor Hagrid thankfully stopped her there. Why does it seem like that woman has a particular love of dramatics…? More than even Becky.
He chuckled, "No, no, no. Tha's jus' superstition, that is, they aren' unlucky, they're dead clever an' useful! 'Course, this lot don' get a lot o' work, it's mainly jus' pullin' the school carriages unless Dumbledore's takin' a long journey an' don' want ter Apparate — an' here's another couple, look —"
Two more thestrals walked through. When one passed by the panicking, superstitious Gryffindor girl, she pushed up closer to the tree she'd attached herself to. "I think I felt something, I think it's near me!"
"Don' worry, it won' hurt yeh. Righ', now, who can tell me why some o' you can see them an' some can't?"
Unsurprisingly. Hermione was the first and only one to raise her hand.
Professor Hagrid smiled, "Go on then."
Before she answered, she lowered her hand with a relieved sag of her shoulders. One would think she never got to answer any questions on a regular basis, as she seemed to feed off of being called on. "The only people who can see thestrals are people who have seen death."
"Tha's exactly right, ten points ter Gryffindor. Now, thestrals —"
"Hem, hem."
That blasted, interrupting cough again. I had a feeling that — considering the curse on the post she was teaching — when she finally left Hogwarts, her annoying coughs would appear in my nightmares. I found considerable humor, though, in the fact that since Professor Hagrid had never heard it before he looked at the nearest thestral with some barely hidden confusion. Under the assumption that the thestral had made that noise and, perhaps, needed some medical attention.
I turned to find her standing closest to Harry, wearing a green hat and cloak with clipboard and quill in hand. She voiced her arrival again, "Hem, hem."
Professor Hagrid turned to her in surprise and smiled, "Oh hello!"
"You received the note I sent to your cabin this morning telling you that I would be inspecting your lesson?" she asked him in a loud, slow voice.
Dear God, she's making him look like nothing but a dumb brute, I cringed as Draco wrapped an arm around my shoulder with a presentable smirk in Umbridge's direction. And most of the Slytherins are eager to watch the freaking show… I can keep them from learning Dark Magic, and from tormenting Muggleborns to extreme extents.. but I can't stop them from what might as well be considered their nature. Chaos and fun at others' expense.
For that moment, though, Professor Hagrid was none the wiser at her patronizing tone. "Oh yeah. Glad yeh found the place all righ'! Well, as you can see — or, I dunno — can you? We're doin' thestrals today —"
"I'm sorry? What did you say?" she was still loud in her response, frowning as she cupped her ear and leaned forward.
"Er — thestrals! Big — er — winged horses, yeh know!" Professor Hagrid returned at the same volume, flapping his arms in an attempt to get her to understand the whole picture. His confusion was distinguishable.
Professor Umbridge raised both eyebrows at him before writing out a note in her clipboard. She muttered as she went. "'has… to… resort… to… crude… sign… language…'"
Draco snickered in my ear, enjoying the fact that someone could make fun at his expense since it was better that he didn't. It was from this point that I purposely avoided looking in Harry and Hermione's direction because, as bad as Severus may be in class, it seemed barely comparable to the situation Umbridge was making.
Though obviously frustrated, Professor Hagrid turned back to the class to try to continue his lesson. "Well… anyway…. Erm… what was I sayin'?"
I closed my eyes for a brief moment with my own frustration. Again, we get such a nice lesson, and somebody has to ruin it for everyone else. Though everyone might have been scared by something they couldn't see, I thought it was a really nice gesture to teach us about the winged horses that take us to the school from the train. That way most everyone could see that the carriages didn't just move on their own, they were being pulled by fascinating creatures. They perhaps weren't as beautiful as the abraxans that Beauxbatons used, but they were awe-inspiring all the same.
"'Appears… to… have… poor… short… term… memory…'" she continued loudly.
Professor Hagrid attempted to push forward past her loud mutterings, "Oh yeah, yeah, I was gonna tell yeh how come we got a herd. Yeah, so, we started off with a male an' five females. This one," he gently tapped one of them, "name o' Tenebrus, he's my special favorite, firs' one born here in the forest —"
"Are you are that the Ministry of Magic has classified thestrals as 'dangerous'?"
Goddamnit, shut up.
"Thestrals aren' dangerous!" Professor Hagrid laughed. "All righ', they might take a bite outta you if yeh really annoy them —"
God, and he doesn't know how to help his case either.
"'Shows… signs… of… pleasure… at… idea… of… violence…'"
Says the one relishing in detentions where you have students' hands bleeding.
"No — come on! I mean, a dog'll bite if yeh bait it, won' it — but thestrals have jus' got a bad reputation because o' the death thing — people used ter think they were bad omens, didn' they? Jus' didn' understand, did they?"
"Please continue teaching as usual," she loudly replied after writing a little bit more on her clipboard. She mimed — as he had done before to her — her actions as she spoke. "I am going to walk among the students and ask them questions."
Draco fought hard to hold back his laughter, burying his face in my shoulder. At the same time, Pansy seemed to have the same thinking because she took my other shoulder the same way before Becky could do so mockingly. Since when did I turn into the person everyone uses to hide their indecently morbid senses of humor? That and the person they clutch on to when they're scared or — in Becky's case — pretending to be scared?
I nudged Pansy as Umbridge walked over to us, glancing pointedly at the former. The girl moved away from my shoulder, eyes teared up from laughter, to look curiously at the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, beaming excitedly when she realized what was about to happen.
It was a favorite part Slytherins played.. to be able to take the acting role in trodding over Professor Hagrid's reputation as a teacher. They were certainly more than happy to do it the previous year with Rita Skeeter snooping around.
"Erm…" Professor Hagrid uncertainly stared at her before turning back to the class, "so — thestrals. Yeah. Well, there's loads o' stuff abou' them…."
Professor Umbridge interrupted again as she loudly spoke to Pansy. "Do you find that you are able to understand Professor Hagrid when he talks?"
Pansy was still struggling to hold back her laughs, so her answer was pretty broken up, but she did her best. "No… because… well… it sounds… like grunting a lot of the time…."
"Er…" Professor Hagrid kept on, his bruised cheeks blushing as Umbridge took notes, "yeah… good stuff abou' thestrals. Well, once they're tamed, like this lot, yeh'll never be lost again. 'Mazin senses o' direction, jus' tell 'em where yeh want ter go —"
Draco quickly pulled away from my shoulder to proudly exclaim, "Assuming they can understand you, of course."
Umbridge smiled at my two companions as Pansy burst into another round of chuckles, her eyes roving maliciously over mine before continuing to the Gryffindor boy, Neville Longbottom.
"You can see the thestrals, Longbottom, can you?"
Neville nodded mutely.
"Whom did you see die?"
"My… my grandad."
She gestured a hand toward the devouring thestrals, the creatures having eaten most of the dead cow. "And what do you think of them?"
Neville eyed Professor Hagrid nervously, "Erm… Well, they're… er… okay…."
She raised just one eyebrow that time, writing on her clipboard again with more mumbling, "'Students… are… too… intimidated… to… admit… they… are… frightened….'"
Neville's features became visibly worried, "No, no, I'm not scared of them —!"
"It's quite all right," she patted Neville's shoulder, smiling 'kindly' at him.
The level of fake in her voice and actions is sickening, I thought as I looked away. I wish for this lesson to be over already. I would prefer a day in dad's presence over a day in hers.
Umbridge continued, turning to look at our flustered professor "Well, Hagrid, I think I've got enough to be getting along with…. You will receive the results of your inspection in ten days' time."
She then smiled before leaving our presence.
I waited until she was out of sight before — Pansy and Draco still dying in fits of laughter with Professor Hagrid staring mournfully silently at them — I used both hands to whack them in the back of their skulls.
I barely registered the fact that Becky had already moved far away from us during class to stand next to a visibly angered Hermione.
"Darling — darling wake up!" a voice hissed in my ear.
I blearily opened up my eyes to find electric blue cat eyes in my line of vision. Rubbing away the fuzziness, I groaned as I sat up, "What time is it?"
"Midnight."
"Good night," I lay back down.
After a few mutters of what must've been an incantation, I suddenly found my body thudding heavily to the ground. Still tired, I sat up slightly from the ground to rub my aching skull with my eyes still closed.
"Whass the big idea?" I mumbled as I stood up.
"Your father wants you to help him search for the prophecy tonight."
That woke me up. My eyes shot open to find Seraphina standing there with one hand on her hip and an amused look on her face.
"I didn't expect you to be so hard to wake up," she said with a short laugh.
"I'm not a morning person," I grumbled, rubbing my eyes to get remove some more of the blurriness. "I thought Dumbledore gave the order that I couldn't leave the grounds until winter break. It's only a few days away, you know."
"Of course I know, which is why I prepared you for this occasion. Get dressed —" a set of robes suddenly whacked up against my face "— and before we Apparate off the grounds, you're going to use the aging spell on yourself. We only got caught last time because you're underage. There's no tracking spell on you if you're seventeen until you return to the school."
In my sleepiness, I'd forgotten she'd explained that to me when she taught me the aging spell. Last time, when we left Hogwarts to see dad, the Ministry had been aware that a student had suddenly appeared at Crabbe Chateau…. Luckily — after a minor investigation considering they didn't know exactly who left Hogwarts — with Umbridge on our side, she had explained to the Ministry that she'd 'allowed fifth year Slytherin student, Vincent Crabbe, to visit home for a short time, as he'd been worried sick about his dear mother's health being on the fritz.'
The fact that it was partially the truth had made it all the more convincing. His mother's health had been deteriorating, and I had half a mind to believe that the stress of dad staying there was really getting to her. Thankfully for poor Mrs. Crabbe, Seraphina assured me that after my last vision, dad had moved back into her personal mansion — with the added assurance from Severus that the investigation into her home was no longer a priority of the Order's.
Whatever that could've meant.
On to the matter at hand with the aging spell, we had spent the past month of December perfecting it. I'd wondered why — with the presence of an aging spell — dad and Seraphina didn't use it as a means for living forever. Apparently, there were two problems.
Problem number one: it doesn't offer protection against death, itself. For example, get hit with Avada Kedavra, and that's the end of that. So of course it could never be considered it a viable option for either of them.
Problem number two: it takes a lot — and I mean a lot — of concentration just to keep it up. I wouldn't be able to just put it on and forget about it like with any other spell. Using it as a means to hide my real age while doing missions for dad meant I would have to focus on that, on paying attention to my surroundings, and on any other spells I was going to have to use… all at the same time.
I did say we spent the entire month perfecting it, right?
I spent hours keeping it on for as long as possible — it was almost as hard as seeing how long I could hold my breath for — and I'd gotten it up to five hours tops.
Seraphina had even invited Becky and Draco to our private sessions — not only so I could also practice holding an aging spell over all three of us for when we took part in the Azkaban breakout (imagine the Ministry's dismay if they were to notice such an atrocity), but —so they could get in their own practice on Occlumency.
Who better than the queen of getting past even my mental barriers to assist in teaching them?
Of course, the most surprising part was Draco mastering it before Becky.
The look of dismay on her face as Seraphina gave him an approving nod was unlike any I'd ever seen from her before, made even worse by the look of smug satisfaction he gave as he began taunting her with how much greater he was at it.
In the end, she'd gotten her groove back — after extensive one-on-ones with Seraphina to hone Occlumency — when I realized… we were going to be in Azkaban. They needed to know the Patronus Charm just in case, because who knew if any of the Dementors would act out of turn?
The majority might prefer to work with my dad, but I could never just settle for believing just anything without the proper protection.
Anyways, Becky figured it out within one lesson with her Patronus taking form of a fluffy cat… Draco could barely even produce a vapor of the silvery magic. After many failed attempts, he nearly threw his wand across the room in frustration, so I settled for the knowledge that we could at least stick together and keep guard over him.
He would learn it eventually.
The frost of the midnight air cloaked my cheeks immediately when Seraphina and I stepped outside. I followed her as fast as I could, using a warmth spell to help me refrain from shivering even though the cold could've woken me up a little more.
Once we'd reached the end of the grounds, Seraphina turned expectantly towards me.
I nodded, taking a deep breath as I closed my eyes to properly imagine how far I needed to age myself. Just two years — nothing more, nothing less. Any breakage of concentration could result in some damage… God, the level of dangerous Dark Magic being taught to a fifteen year old girl was certainly astounding.
I felt the familiar surge of darkness overtake me even before I softly uttered the spell, "Miscuere…"
Bones grew slightly, giving the sudden feel of growing pain before immediately ceasing, and even with my eyes closed I had the sensation of being at a slightly higher vantage point. It didn't give me much hope for anything that, even at seventeen years old, I was not going to grow very tall. The only comforting thought I had was that at least I was never going to be shorter than my mom… was….
I opened my eyes, meeting Seraphina's gaze with a nod that I was ready to go.
She offered me her arm with a nod of her own — as if to say she knew I was ready to put in my efforts to help dad again.
We officially walked off the grounds, silently Disapparating the moment we had completely left.
