CHAPTER 2 - THE STAG AND THE WOLF
The incantation was almost complete when another animal joined the fray. Harry was almost knocked to the ground when a white blur zipped right past him, clipping him on the arm in its haste. The white creature stopped right in front of the snarling wolf, and Harry was able to decipher that it was a stag that had clipped him.
There it stood in the center of the open glen, its magnificence for all to see. The stag held its stately head high as it stared the wolf down, its eyes gleaming with some unknown emotion. As the canine and the deer continued their apparent stare-down, Harry edged around the glen to get a better view of what was going on. The center creatures were oblivious to Harry now, so they couldn't be startled out of there locked world by his movement.
Then, as if in slow motion, Harry observed the strangest thing he ever thought he would see. The wolf managed another, minute snarl at its opponent. The stag, as if it were almost human, snorted and shook his head, seemingly to say "no". The wolf ceased its growls and eventually lowered its hackles to their right places. But this did not unlock their eyesight. The stag shook his head slightly once more and snapped the trance they were in. The wolf emitted a small whimper and lowered its head as if submitting to the stag. In turn, the stag lowered its own head so it was once again eye level with its adversary, and it opened its mouth slightly. Harry could have sworn that he saw the stag smile at the wolf, and the wolf return the gesture. They then stepped together in the very center of the clearing, and they seemed to hug, the stag lowering its head and the wolf raising its own to rest them side by side in a nuzzle.
Harry stared at them in amazement for what must have been hours, but in reality it was only minutes. He soon found himself facing the two animals, them standing perfectly side by side, turned toward him. He took a quick glance at their eyes initially, and he saw the wolf's eyes go from a sharp red to an emerald green, while the stag's eyes went from a deep brown to bright royal blue. Upon seeing this through the corner of his eye, Harry took the time to look deep into both creatures' eyes, and he saw something new. It wasn't hatred or hunger or any wild emotion for that matter. It was something else; something he couldn't describe. He spent much more time looking into their eyes than he had when he watched them nuzzle, yet he couldn't place what those eyes were trying to tell him. He felt he should recognize it, like it was something he had experienced a long time ago, yet he had forgotten. The feeling that those looks invoked was almost painful for Harry to experience, like he had been missing something his whole life, and these creatures were reminding him of it. It was a dull ache, wanting to be looked at in such a way each day of his life, yet he knew he never would, and it tore at his heart. He yearned to be looked at as such normally, just as he was in the past, in some long forgotten part of his life.
Finally the dull ache became too much for Harry to bear, so he turned his eyes to the ground and trained them on a small pebble, he mind lost in his own thoughts. Because of this, he nearly toppled over in fright when he felt something wet and cold on his hand. He was surprised to see that it was the wolf, and it was nuzzling his hand to get his attention, the stag standing by the wolf faithfully. The two looked up at him, and then they seemed to smile once more that night. From this seemingly friendly gesture, Harry felt a warmth wash over his own heart, and he smiled back at the animals.
It was he strangest feeling he had ever had, but the two animals made Harry feel uniquely comfortable. He reached out a tentative hand to them, stopping it right in frond of the stag's round muzzle. He felt the powerful deer's breath on his fingertips for a few seconds before he held his breath and moved his hand forward the few centimeters left until it came in contact with the soft fur of the stag. The stag just tilted its head after the contact, and Harry assumed that it was consenting to Harry's action. Harry soon halted, though, and turned to the wolf. He did the same with this creature, though more cautiously because he was still wary of those sharp incisors that the wolf possessed. He received a more positive response from the canine than from the deer, because it started to wag its tail happily, like any pleased dog would do. Harry's smile broadened, if it was even possible, and he let out a short chuckle at the absurdity of it all.
Harry continued in his course of action by occasionally petting the two wild creatures that were accompanying him in the glen. He made several observations, also, while this was going on. The magnificent wolf that had wanted to disembowel him at first, turned out to be a solid black female of unimaginable strength and stamina from what Harry could see. The regal stag that had save both Harry and the wolf from near destruction was a stately male of a silvery white with a set of marvelous antlers perched atop his head. The deer also appeared to be in tiptop shape, judging from the rippling muscles visible underneath the smooth, gleaming coat.
Yet the strangest thing that Harry found was that around both of the creatures' necks was some sort of medallion of a deep copper color. Upon inspection of this artifact, Harry found a symbol to be embossed on its front. It was a Gothic "M" encompassed by a large hexagon, which was also the shape of the ornament. It was a strange object to be attached to two wild creatures, but Harry was not about to argue with whoever put it there, for there must have been some reason.
As Harry was running a hand down the stag's smooth back, the first rays of light became visible through the treetops. Even thought the beams just glanced off the edge of the animals, their heads shot up sharply, and their calm disposition vanished. They turned to look at Harry once more, this time in an almost apologetic way, as if they were saying goodbye. Harry knew this was what they were trying to say, and he knew they must go sometime but he hadn't wanted it to be so soon; they had given him this unbelievable feeling, and he didn't want to let it go.
As he pet the two softly on the muzzles as a way of saying goodbye, he watched their eyes slowly change back to their natural colors of red and brown. The wolf gave Harry one last nuzzle on his hand before they turned to leave. Harry watched solemnly as the two magnificent beings walked back into the woods, side by side, totally in sync. Yet they really were the hunter and the hunted together, Harry reiterated as they stepped into the brush and out of view.
Harry spent the next several minutes watching the gap in the trees where the stag and wolf had disappeared from sight, and most likely from his life. Already he felt another dull ache for the feeling that the animals gave him. There was just something about those two that made them special and unique, besides the fact that they were friends. It was something beyond the companionship of two creatures.
Soon Harry was looking at his watch, and he noticed that it was already half past six in the morning. He really should have started on his journey back to the exit of the woods half an hour ago, but he had been preoccupied. He bent down and began to pack up his unused sleeping bad and then he fetched the water bottle that he had thrown a little distance away. He soon was up and beginning the long tread through the trees to the end of the forest.
After four hours of straight hiking, Harry had almost reached the end of the woods and the end of his task. He was walking down the final stretch of path when he spotted something lying in the middle of it. As he bent down to examine it, he realized that it was one of the medals that the stag and deer wore, and it was lying there, folded neatly. Harry stooped to pick it up, and it felt cold against his warm fingers. He gently ran his fingertips over the smooth metal surface, and his dull ache increased tenfold. He traced the large "M" gently before turning the piece over to run a hand over the backside. As he did so, he noticed something on the bottom corner. As he brought it close to his face for a closer inspection, he found there to be some sort of symbol engraved there. He had no idea what it was, but it struck him as some sort of weapon or another. Not bothering to ponder it any longer, Harry slipped the medallion around his neck and continued down the path.
Just before he was to emerge from the woods, he glanced once again at the object around his neck, and thousands of emotions washed over him. He was sad, happy, empty, content, but most of all, victorious. He had found that dull ache in his being and a way to cure it all at once, and most of all, he had passed his auror training. He would now have a definite place in the ministry. With that thought in mind, he walked confidently out of the woods and into the sunshine of the surrounding country.
The incantation was almost complete when another animal joined the fray. Harry was almost knocked to the ground when a white blur zipped right past him, clipping him on the arm in its haste. The white creature stopped right in front of the snarling wolf, and Harry was able to decipher that it was a stag that had clipped him.
There it stood in the center of the open glen, its magnificence for all to see. The stag held its stately head high as it stared the wolf down, its eyes gleaming with some unknown emotion. As the canine and the deer continued their apparent stare-down, Harry edged around the glen to get a better view of what was going on. The center creatures were oblivious to Harry now, so they couldn't be startled out of there locked world by his movement.
Then, as if in slow motion, Harry observed the strangest thing he ever thought he would see. The wolf managed another, minute snarl at its opponent. The stag, as if it were almost human, snorted and shook his head, seemingly to say "no". The wolf ceased its growls and eventually lowered its hackles to their right places. But this did not unlock their eyesight. The stag shook his head slightly once more and snapped the trance they were in. The wolf emitted a small whimper and lowered its head as if submitting to the stag. In turn, the stag lowered its own head so it was once again eye level with its adversary, and it opened its mouth slightly. Harry could have sworn that he saw the stag smile at the wolf, and the wolf return the gesture. They then stepped together in the very center of the clearing, and they seemed to hug, the stag lowering its head and the wolf raising its own to rest them side by side in a nuzzle.
Harry stared at them in amazement for what must have been hours, but in reality it was only minutes. He soon found himself facing the two animals, them standing perfectly side by side, turned toward him. He took a quick glance at their eyes initially, and he saw the wolf's eyes go from a sharp red to an emerald green, while the stag's eyes went from a deep brown to bright royal blue. Upon seeing this through the corner of his eye, Harry took the time to look deep into both creatures' eyes, and he saw something new. It wasn't hatred or hunger or any wild emotion for that matter. It was something else; something he couldn't describe. He spent much more time looking into their eyes than he had when he watched them nuzzle, yet he couldn't place what those eyes were trying to tell him. He felt he should recognize it, like it was something he had experienced a long time ago, yet he had forgotten. The feeling that those looks invoked was almost painful for Harry to experience, like he had been missing something his whole life, and these creatures were reminding him of it. It was a dull ache, wanting to be looked at in such a way each day of his life, yet he knew he never would, and it tore at his heart. He yearned to be looked at as such normally, just as he was in the past, in some long forgotten part of his life.
Finally the dull ache became too much for Harry to bear, so he turned his eyes to the ground and trained them on a small pebble, he mind lost in his own thoughts. Because of this, he nearly toppled over in fright when he felt something wet and cold on his hand. He was surprised to see that it was the wolf, and it was nuzzling his hand to get his attention, the stag standing by the wolf faithfully. The two looked up at him, and then they seemed to smile once more that night. From this seemingly friendly gesture, Harry felt a warmth wash over his own heart, and he smiled back at the animals.
It was he strangest feeling he had ever had, but the two animals made Harry feel uniquely comfortable. He reached out a tentative hand to them, stopping it right in frond of the stag's round muzzle. He felt the powerful deer's breath on his fingertips for a few seconds before he held his breath and moved his hand forward the few centimeters left until it came in contact with the soft fur of the stag. The stag just tilted its head after the contact, and Harry assumed that it was consenting to Harry's action. Harry soon halted, though, and turned to the wolf. He did the same with this creature, though more cautiously because he was still wary of those sharp incisors that the wolf possessed. He received a more positive response from the canine than from the deer, because it started to wag its tail happily, like any pleased dog would do. Harry's smile broadened, if it was even possible, and he let out a short chuckle at the absurdity of it all.
Harry continued in his course of action by occasionally petting the two wild creatures that were accompanying him in the glen. He made several observations, also, while this was going on. The magnificent wolf that had wanted to disembowel him at first, turned out to be a solid black female of unimaginable strength and stamina from what Harry could see. The regal stag that had save both Harry and the wolf from near destruction was a stately male of a silvery white with a set of marvelous antlers perched atop his head. The deer also appeared to be in tiptop shape, judging from the rippling muscles visible underneath the smooth, gleaming coat.
Yet the strangest thing that Harry found was that around both of the creatures' necks was some sort of medallion of a deep copper color. Upon inspection of this artifact, Harry found a symbol to be embossed on its front. It was a Gothic "M" encompassed by a large hexagon, which was also the shape of the ornament. It was a strange object to be attached to two wild creatures, but Harry was not about to argue with whoever put it there, for there must have been some reason.
As Harry was running a hand down the stag's smooth back, the first rays of light became visible through the treetops. Even thought the beams just glanced off the edge of the animals, their heads shot up sharply, and their calm disposition vanished. They turned to look at Harry once more, this time in an almost apologetic way, as if they were saying goodbye. Harry knew this was what they were trying to say, and he knew they must go sometime but he hadn't wanted it to be so soon; they had given him this unbelievable feeling, and he didn't want to let it go.
As he pet the two softly on the muzzles as a way of saying goodbye, he watched their eyes slowly change back to their natural colors of red and brown. The wolf gave Harry one last nuzzle on his hand before they turned to leave. Harry watched solemnly as the two magnificent beings walked back into the woods, side by side, totally in sync. Yet they really were the hunter and the hunted together, Harry reiterated as they stepped into the brush and out of view.
Harry spent the next several minutes watching the gap in the trees where the stag and wolf had disappeared from sight, and most likely from his life. Already he felt another dull ache for the feeling that the animals gave him. There was just something about those two that made them special and unique, besides the fact that they were friends. It was something beyond the companionship of two creatures.
Soon Harry was looking at his watch, and he noticed that it was already half past six in the morning. He really should have started on his journey back to the exit of the woods half an hour ago, but he had been preoccupied. He bent down and began to pack up his unused sleeping bad and then he fetched the water bottle that he had thrown a little distance away. He soon was up and beginning the long tread through the trees to the end of the forest.
After four hours of straight hiking, Harry had almost reached the end of the woods and the end of his task. He was walking down the final stretch of path when he spotted something lying in the middle of it. As he bent down to examine it, he realized that it was one of the medals that the stag and deer wore, and it was lying there, folded neatly. Harry stooped to pick it up, and it felt cold against his warm fingers. He gently ran his fingertips over the smooth metal surface, and his dull ache increased tenfold. He traced the large "M" gently before turning the piece over to run a hand over the backside. As he did so, he noticed something on the bottom corner. As he brought it close to his face for a closer inspection, he found there to be some sort of symbol engraved there. He had no idea what it was, but it struck him as some sort of weapon or another. Not bothering to ponder it any longer, Harry slipped the medallion around his neck and continued down the path.
Just before he was to emerge from the woods, he glanced once again at the object around his neck, and thousands of emotions washed over him. He was sad, happy, empty, content, but most of all, victorious. He had found that dull ache in his being and a way to cure it all at once, and most of all, he had passed his auror training. He would now have a definite place in the ministry. With that thought in mind, he walked confidently out of the woods and into the sunshine of the surrounding country.