Chapter thirty two

Snowstorm

/

On Friday, it looked like the sun might not even come out. The sky remained ominously overcast with steel grey clouds, not letting a single ray of light to get through. A strong wind was rising, and although all the torches were burning in the castle corridors, there was an unpleasant gloom everywhere. All the students gathered around the burning fireplaces and in their bedrooms to escape the creeping coldness seeping through the walls.

Daria looked thoughtfully out the window of the Gryffindor common room at the sky. Dusk was approaching, which she could recognize from the fact that it was getting progressively darker and it was getting harder and harder for her to make out the flakes of slowly falling snow. She did not notice the little school owl who was laboriously reaching the window. She only saw it when the bird tapped the window with its beak, straining to cling to the windowsill. Daria quickly opened it, wondering who the owl was carrying a letter for at this time.

She was a little surprised when the little owl landed on the ground right in front of her. She knelt down and untied the folded parchment from its leg. The owl was waiting, fixing its huge eyes on her.

No one in the room paid much attention to Daria, so she quickly opened it.

I need to talk to you. At eight o´clock in the usual Room.

A.

The message was written in a tall, elegant font. Daria did not even need the "A" at the end to know, who it was from. She took a small pencil from her pocket, which she carried with her just in case, because a quill would be useless at moments like this, and scribbled a brief agreement on the other side.

The owl patiently waited for Daria to attach the message again and flew out. The girl watched it struggle with the increasingly strong gusts of wind for a moment before turning away, closing the window and pulling the curtain over it.

/

Angela burst into the Room ten minutes past eight. A blizzard was raging outside, which could not really be seen through the thick darkness, but the howling wind sounded quite loudly even through the closed windows.

"Sorry, I had to avoid Snape. Lately, I feel like he's watching me or something," she blurted out.

"It's okay," Daria smiled understandingly at her. "So, what did you want to talk to me about?"

Angela sat across from her and looked at her strangely: "Remember how I told you about those prophetic dreams I have?"

"Of course... Nothing you told me can be forgotten easily."

Angela gave her a wry smile: "So, how should I put it… How do you feel about Draco, Daria?"

The fifth-year Gryffindor stiffened.

"What is the point of this question, please?" she countered with a frown.

"A big one. So, how do you feel about him? You're still in love with him, aren't you?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"It's important, trust me."

"Well… I've had a crush on him for almost two years, but… but now it´s already…"

"Are you over it yet?" Angela asked with an incredulous smirk.

Daria sighed: "Alright. No, unfortunately not. But nothing will ever be of the two of us anyway, do you understand?"

"How can you be sure?"

"I just am. He would not even notice me. He's a bighead and even if I like him, I'd never have anything to do with him anyway.''

"Really?" Angela wanted to be sure.

"His father killed my parents, Angela. Already that turns me away from him," Daria replied in a strained voice.

"Sorry, Daria. I didn't want to hurt you."

"It´s all right…"

"You know, I had such a dream yesterday... About you two."

Daria looked at her in surprise. "And why do you look so worried? What was it about?" she asked with a frown.

"That's not important, I just want you to be aware of this... If something were to happen between the two of you, it just cannot not turn out well in the end," Angela stated harshly. "Remember that, Daria. Promise me you'll never start dating him."

"I´ve already told you that."

"Promise me," her friend insisted.

"Okay, I promise," Daria sighed. "Satisfied?"

"Yeah, I feel a little better now…"

"But you don't look like that."

"What do you mean?" the brunette looked up not understanding.

"You're getting wearier each day, Angela. I can see it."

"It will be fine..." she murmured as a reply.

"How many pills are you taking?" Daria asked with a frown.

"Three every night," she muttered in response. "Then I only dream of something every other night."

"Angela, seriously, shouldn't you go to St Mungo's Hospital to be looked at by Healers?"

"No way! I've already been there about fifty times and what was the point... Maybe I'm just having a bad period. I'll get over it. As I did always before."

/

Harry scanned Marauder´s Map carefully with his eyes and still could not find Angela. Then a tag with her name on it finally appeared on the floor where the Room of Requirement was. He was relieved, but at the same time, he had a suspicion about whom she might have been there with. He waited for a while, and meanwhile Angela's name disappeared in the lower floors.

Then the name ´Daria Prescott´ appeared in the same place. Harry frowned. If he remembered the rumours correctly, those two had a bloody fight and were not talking to each other. That seemed strange to him. He already wanted to hide the castle plan, but he rather started looking for Angela once again first.

/

Angela was not far from the common room of Slytherin when something made her stop. She froze on the spot, as if struck by lightning.

Dark forest and a beautiful unicorn appeared before her eyes for a split second. She shook all over and leaned against the wall. Then the scene was back again. But there were three unicorns and even more of them behind...

She straightened up. Then she slowly turned around. She rushed back in the direction she came from and gradually kept speeding up…

/

Harry was surprised again when he saw Angela suddenly turn and quickly start walking away from her dorm. After a few moments, he realized that she was heading for the Entrance Hall and froze.

Surely, she's not going to have seconds of dinner, he thought. And the last time I saw this…

Not thinking further for a second, he let the Map disappear, made the bed so that it looked like he was sleeping and carefully drew the curtains. As a precaution, he took the Cloak of Invisibility as well, threw it over himself and quietly walked through the common room, where Hermione and Ron, among others, were huddled by the fireplace.

He wondered if he would risk walking through the portrait just as Lavender walked in, so he managed to slip out without anyone noticing that someone else had come out and unseen, run down the stairs.

/

Angela ran out of the dungeons and into the Entrance Hall. A few latecomers could be seen in the Great Hall through the half-open door, but they ignored her. She briskly headed for the main gate, looked around and opened it with a spell, which from the inside was not such a big problem. Especially, with her future Death Eater's training, even though Dumbledore himself had been locking it for the night since the New Year.

She was about to go out into the storm when someone grabbed her arm unexpectedly, making her almost scream in fright.

"Where are you going so late?" Harry's voice hissed at her from under the Cloak.

She immediately jerked away from him: "Let me go. I have to," she stated seriously.

"Angela, don't be silly. This is the worst snowstorm in ten years, and you want to go outside?''

"I have to, Harry," she repeated stubbornly and ran outside.

Harry dashed after her and the gate slammed behind them. He tore off his cloak, stuffed it in his pocket, and lit his wand. He saw its light reflected off Angela's sweatshirt.

"Angela, come back!" he called urgently.

She looked back, watched him for a moment, but then turned and disappeared in that white hell.

Harry thought for a moment. He looked back at the gate wondering, if he should tell someone about what was going on, but realized that then he would lose Angela´s trail. He used a water and snow Repellent charm on his glasses and lit his wand to full brightness. Before long, his island of light had disappeared in the impenetrable dark.

/

Angela did not know what exactly was driving her so inexorably forward. Nevertheless, the deeper she delved into the Forbidden Forest and struggled with the gusts of wind and snow in her eyes, the more certain she was that the small community of unicorns barely surviving in the Forbidden Forest was in mortal danger. And she was the only one who knew about it.

She could not tell anyone. They would not believe her anyway. And even if they did, it would be too late before any rescue would reach them.

She trudged through the snow, which was up to her knees, moving forward without hesitation. She could not even see the tip of her nose, but she was definitely still heading in one direction without even hitting a tree.

She heard something far behind her. She stopped and turned sharply. The muffled call of her name reached her again, and for a moment, she glimpsed the faint light of the wand. Harry stubbornly followed her.

She half wanted to meet him and scold him to return to the castle immediately, but an unknown force pulled her on. Willy-nilly, she turned back to her original direction and started fighting the blizzard again.

/

Harry was beginning to breathe hard and felt his face and bare hands freezing. He used the light to follow Angela's tracks through the forest. He did not understand how she could move so fast. After all, it was a huge problem for him to follow her footsteps, and he did not have to wade through the freshly fallen snow as she did.

However, he was determined to catch up with her no matter what. Deep in his soul, he was beginning to fear for her. It was a great fear that something bad would happen to her…

/

She had no idea how much time had passed, an hour or two, when she climbed a low hill and knew she was there. She narrowed her eyes and looked around, and even through the storm, she saw the brightly glowing bodies of the unicorns gathered there.

Her heart was pounding with exertion and excitement. They were beautiful animals, but she saw fear in their attitude. She moved slowly closer to their small gathering. One detached himself from them and stood right in front of Angela. It had a beautiful mane and a long golden horn. She was surprised to realize that it was the one from her dream.

However, what surprised her even more, so that she almost sat down in the snow, was a velvety booming voice that rang out inside her head.

Finally... Did you come to help us?

Angela automatically used her practice of thoughts transfer.

I don't know… Something was leading me here all the time…

Then you must be a descendant of Elessandra.

Angela looked at him in astonishment: I don't even know who that was!

What is your name?

Angela Rosier.

I see… So, she might have been your great-great-grandmother.

How can you know that?

We do not have time for lengthy explanations. You must help us. They are getting close.

Who?

Our mortal enemies. They have been systematically trying to exterminate us for two months now. I hoped that a descendant of Elessandra was alive and would come to our aid at my call.

Well, I definitely heard… But how comes you can even talk to me like this?

The unicorn tossed its glorious mane impatiently. Dumb horses we are not, if that is what you meant.

I didn't want to hurt you, I just don't get it. I don't understand anything that's going on here at all.

If we survive, I will tell you who you really are. Although it amazes me that you don't know your own family's past.

It amazes me that you do, snapped Angela a little. Listen, who actually should…

At that moment, the unicorn gave out a short snort and stomped the snow in warning. Angela turned sharply and saw Harry's astonished face in the light of his wand a few meters behind her.

/

Harry could not stop staring. Angela was standing there calmly in front of a herd of unicorns in a white hell as if nothing out of ordinary was happening at all. Which was ironic enough in itself.

When the biggest unicorn, who had been focused at his girlfriend up until that point, spotted him, it almost looked like the magical creature was going to attack him. But Angela, recognizing Harry, turned to him and seemed to calm him down.

She then walked to him with her hair flowing around her head.

You shouldn't have come after me, Harry, she told him in her mind, so she wouldn't have to scream through the howling wind.

Angela, what does this all mean?

I don't know myself, but you can't be here. What if something happens to you?

What should happen to me?

Nothing nice, I suppose…

You suppose?

Right now, I must…

The unicorn let out a warning neigh, and the herd behind them became restless. Angela scanned the dense forest around them with concern and quickly took out her wand. She turned to the unicorn and after a moment back to Harry.

These unicorns are in mortal danger. I don't even know what kind of danger or how should I save them. I don't really understand it myself, but this one says they´re already here. In that case, I'll need your help, Harry.

Who is here? He asked, trying to see through the darkness behind the light coming from his wand.

I do not know.

What?

I just… I don't know, Angela wanted to say, but stopped. Damn. Look over there. On the left.

Harry focused his gaze there and saw red glowing eyes piercing both the snow and the darkness.

Stick with me. I guess I know who wants to kill them now, Angela sent to him, dragging Harry behind her toward the unicorns.

Are they vampires? she asked the unicorn.

Yes, that is what you call those creatures.

Okay, I'll try to help you, but I need you to calm the others down a bit if possible.

Will be done, he replied, gracefully turning away from them.

Harry, you're going to have to cover for me, she spoke back to Harry in her mind, but kept looking around intently. They are vampires and they will attack soon. I don't know how many there will be, so I'll try to create a protective field around.

Vampires? Damn it…

I'm going to use some Witchcraft stuff, I just hope it will be enough, Angela turned her wand on full blast.

But Angela, I…

I cannot do it alone!

Okay, what should I do?

Do you have anything silver?

No.

Okay, take my bracelet. I still have a chain, and she was already unfastening the chain from her left hand with trembling hands.

Come on, take it. They hate silver; you know that.

Yeah.

Do you remember those few spells Shiernov taught us?

Yes.

Okay, here we go. Cover my back.

I will.

Angela glanced over the area she would have to go protect, knelt down in the snow on the spot, and began to quickly draw some kind of sign in it, muttering something to herself.

The sign did not disappear under the snow as Harry expected, but it did start to glow blue. Angela quickly moved a few meters to the left with Harry on her heels and sketched another sign. The five characters walked through in peace if the snowstorm was anything to go by with a large unicorn watching them and by Angela's calculations two more were missing when dark figures with red glowing eyes began to emerge from the forest.

Angela tried to ignore the impending danger. If she already learned something from her Witcher classes, if she got the tiniest little thing wrong, it would not work. However, the vampires were moving fast and she began to doubt that she could make it. In order for the protective field to work, all characters had to be drawn.

Harry, let your wand shine as bright as you can. It may not be sunlight, but it will still make them uncomfortable.

Okay, Harry replied, and Angela sensed concern in his thought.

She hurried to complete the circle with the last sign and Harry with a huge circle of light piercing the snowy night behind her. Angela stopped, immediately knelt down, and Harry saw a sudden movement of a dark shadow to their left, heading toward a small unicorn foal that had detached itself from its mother.

With lightning speed, he sent the Full Body-Bind Curse at him, the strongest he could muster. The shadow fell with a snarl into the dark.

Angela's scream rang out next to Harry and he turned sharply. Another vampire, whom she could not see due to her crouching on the ground, leapt at her with a predatory motion, pinning her into the snow. The wand fell from her hand.

Directly in front of Angela, there were hateful red eyes, a huge gaping mouth with sharp fangs, and strong claws reaching for her arms, but she could not think of anything but the fact that the protective circle was not complete. They were about to die there…