Hm…no, it wasn't Hagrid! I can't seem to think of any more good titles for chapters. ~_~
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~Draika~
Chapter Seven: Trapped
~~"Sraelyth?" Draika lifted her head from the ground. "Domar?" She looked around, confused. The ground was dry, but it was still dark. She could hear something moving in the shadows. Stepping back into the trees, she looked about for the source of the noise. Almost all at once she found herself facing a huge emerald green serpent with blazing eyes. Draika screamed, stumbling back. As the serpent advanced, Draika realized it was coming out of a humongous skull that should have been the faraway castle.
~The Dark Mark…~ She tried to run, but her talons were glued to the spot as the snake wound about her tightly, suffocating her….no air!~~
"Voldemort!" Draika screamed out loud, bolting upright. She flailed her arms, trying to find relief from the pressure slowly suffocating her. "Where…the Mark…" She suddenly realized through her blurred vision that she was somehow back in the infirmary, and dressed in her nightclothes. The sun was shining brightly in through a large window. As she calmed, a pair of strong hands grabbed her shoulders and forced her to lie down, but gently.
Draika blinked, looking around. She felt infinitely worn out and tired, like she'd slept for days. Lifting her head, she looked around. All the other beds were empty, and she could hear Madam Pomfrey bustling around in her office. She turned to see who was sitting beside her as her eyes cleared, and nearly had a heart attack.
"Linwe?" The black gryphon was lying comfortably beside the bed, watching Draika with unblinking eyes. She wasn't alone. Beside her stood another of the unlikeliest people ever to visit a student in the infirmary. Professor Severus Snape.
"What? Snape?" Draika sat up again despite her back's protest, hoping she wouldn't be pushed back down. "You…what are you two doing here?" She suddenly felt very wide awake. "What time is it? Is Sraelyth all right? How long have I been asleep? When-"
Snape held up a hand to silence her. Linwe looked at the floor, oddly silent. She looked almost ashamed.
"That is quite enough. I was shocked at your behavior. Simply appalled. No student should go into the forest at night, let alone you!" He wasn't quite shouting, but his voice had an edge to it that Draika had never heard before. "I have talked to your friend, and she has told me what happened."
Linwe nodded. "I didn't know what would happen…he was so polite…when he asked me if I could give that present to you I thought…" She broke off, looking into Draika's eyes, searching for forgiveness.
~If gryphons could cry, she'd be bawling right about now.~ Draika nodded, looking forgivingly at her friend.
"And it is because of this that you will not be punished. It is fairly easy to lure students out of the castle."
"Could you tell me what happened?" She knew there was something Snape had been sent to tell her specifically. She could almost sense it.
"It was very lucky that the centaurs found you before anything happened….lucky for you. They were all killed. Bane managed to get you back to Hagrid's before that monster tore him in two."
"But Domar would never….Sraelyth isn't a monster…."
"No matter what you think, consorting with a nundu and someone who can keep the creatures of the forest and ones much more dangerous under his command will never be a good idea." Snape frowned. "As for your other questions…it is eleven twenty-six in the morning. You have been here for three days, during which the school has been turned into the biggest rumor mill I have even seen. This 'Sraelyth' got away after he massacred the centaurs. They have been searching even since for that nundu of his. And I am here for two very specific purposes."
~I knew it.~ Draika tried to keep the smugness off her face. This was no time to get a swelled head. "What is it?"
"Your Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures classes have been infinitely cancelled. You are not to leave the castle under any circumstances."
"What? Just because-"
"Silence." Snape's face had become expressionless. "You may spend the free time you have in those spaces however you wish. I have talked for hours with the Headmaster. We agreed this is what had to be done. Secondly, Linwe's father will be escorting you to all your classes."
Draika knew better than to argue.
"Why all the precautions? You know I'm smarter than to go running off." This wasn't exactly an argument…but it could've been in the right context.
"Linwe, if you will."
Linwe stood up, handing a scrap of parchment to her friend. Her orange eyes were wide in fear. Draika looked away. She couldn't bear to look into the gryphon's eyes. Carefully unfolding the parchment, she read the note. It was written in ornate yet readable letters:
'I will be back for her'.
"This has got to be some sort of prank." Draika looked up at Linwe, then at Snape, almost pleadingly. "Please tell me it's all some elaborate joke."
Neither of the two spoke. Linwe turned and walked out. Draika knew it wasn't an insult. Such things were harder for younger beings to cope with.
"No. It is not." Snape set a stack of books on her bedside table, not meeting Draika's eyes. "Here is your homework." He quickly exited without saying another word. She sighed. Better get started now.
Picking up the sheet on top that listed all her assignments, she nearly fainted. All that work from just three days!
The first thing she did was tackle that tarot assignment from Trelawney--she'd left it half done. By the time Draika had finished with all her homework, it was near supper. She was starving, but ultimately too tired to walk. She'd tried earlier, nearly knocking over the bedside table.
As if reading her thoughts, Madam Pomfrey came in with a tray of food. She too looked scared out of her mind. Draika shuddered, picking at her sausage. How much longer could this go on? She was a rat in a cage. A very intelligent rat in a very secure cage.
~Oh well…maybe things will be better tomorrow.~ Draika laughed at that silly thought.
"No…" She whispered, setting aside her tray to lie down again. "It never gets better."
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~Draika~
Chapter Seven: Trapped
~~"Sraelyth?" Draika lifted her head from the ground. "Domar?" She looked around, confused. The ground was dry, but it was still dark. She could hear something moving in the shadows. Stepping back into the trees, she looked about for the source of the noise. Almost all at once she found herself facing a huge emerald green serpent with blazing eyes. Draika screamed, stumbling back. As the serpent advanced, Draika realized it was coming out of a humongous skull that should have been the faraway castle.
~The Dark Mark…~ She tried to run, but her talons were glued to the spot as the snake wound about her tightly, suffocating her….no air!~~
"Voldemort!" Draika screamed out loud, bolting upright. She flailed her arms, trying to find relief from the pressure slowly suffocating her. "Where…the Mark…" She suddenly realized through her blurred vision that she was somehow back in the infirmary, and dressed in her nightclothes. The sun was shining brightly in through a large window. As she calmed, a pair of strong hands grabbed her shoulders and forced her to lie down, but gently.
Draika blinked, looking around. She felt infinitely worn out and tired, like she'd slept for days. Lifting her head, she looked around. All the other beds were empty, and she could hear Madam Pomfrey bustling around in her office. She turned to see who was sitting beside her as her eyes cleared, and nearly had a heart attack.
"Linwe?" The black gryphon was lying comfortably beside the bed, watching Draika with unblinking eyes. She wasn't alone. Beside her stood another of the unlikeliest people ever to visit a student in the infirmary. Professor Severus Snape.
"What? Snape?" Draika sat up again despite her back's protest, hoping she wouldn't be pushed back down. "You…what are you two doing here?" She suddenly felt very wide awake. "What time is it? Is Sraelyth all right? How long have I been asleep? When-"
Snape held up a hand to silence her. Linwe looked at the floor, oddly silent. She looked almost ashamed.
"That is quite enough. I was shocked at your behavior. Simply appalled. No student should go into the forest at night, let alone you!" He wasn't quite shouting, but his voice had an edge to it that Draika had never heard before. "I have talked to your friend, and she has told me what happened."
Linwe nodded. "I didn't know what would happen…he was so polite…when he asked me if I could give that present to you I thought…" She broke off, looking into Draika's eyes, searching for forgiveness.
~If gryphons could cry, she'd be bawling right about now.~ Draika nodded, looking forgivingly at her friend.
"And it is because of this that you will not be punished. It is fairly easy to lure students out of the castle."
"Could you tell me what happened?" She knew there was something Snape had been sent to tell her specifically. She could almost sense it.
"It was very lucky that the centaurs found you before anything happened….lucky for you. They were all killed. Bane managed to get you back to Hagrid's before that monster tore him in two."
"But Domar would never….Sraelyth isn't a monster…."
"No matter what you think, consorting with a nundu and someone who can keep the creatures of the forest and ones much more dangerous under his command will never be a good idea." Snape frowned. "As for your other questions…it is eleven twenty-six in the morning. You have been here for three days, during which the school has been turned into the biggest rumor mill I have even seen. This 'Sraelyth' got away after he massacred the centaurs. They have been searching even since for that nundu of his. And I am here for two very specific purposes."
~I knew it.~ Draika tried to keep the smugness off her face. This was no time to get a swelled head. "What is it?"
"Your Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures classes have been infinitely cancelled. You are not to leave the castle under any circumstances."
"What? Just because-"
"Silence." Snape's face had become expressionless. "You may spend the free time you have in those spaces however you wish. I have talked for hours with the Headmaster. We agreed this is what had to be done. Secondly, Linwe's father will be escorting you to all your classes."
Draika knew better than to argue.
"Why all the precautions? You know I'm smarter than to go running off." This wasn't exactly an argument…but it could've been in the right context.
"Linwe, if you will."
Linwe stood up, handing a scrap of parchment to her friend. Her orange eyes were wide in fear. Draika looked away. She couldn't bear to look into the gryphon's eyes. Carefully unfolding the parchment, she read the note. It was written in ornate yet readable letters:
'I will be back for her'.
"This has got to be some sort of prank." Draika looked up at Linwe, then at Snape, almost pleadingly. "Please tell me it's all some elaborate joke."
Neither of the two spoke. Linwe turned and walked out. Draika knew it wasn't an insult. Such things were harder for younger beings to cope with.
"No. It is not." Snape set a stack of books on her bedside table, not meeting Draika's eyes. "Here is your homework." He quickly exited without saying another word. She sighed. Better get started now.
Picking up the sheet on top that listed all her assignments, she nearly fainted. All that work from just three days!
The first thing she did was tackle that tarot assignment from Trelawney--she'd left it half done. By the time Draika had finished with all her homework, it was near supper. She was starving, but ultimately too tired to walk. She'd tried earlier, nearly knocking over the bedside table.
As if reading her thoughts, Madam Pomfrey came in with a tray of food. She too looked scared out of her mind. Draika shuddered, picking at her sausage. How much longer could this go on? She was a rat in a cage. A very intelligent rat in a very secure cage.
~Oh well…maybe things will be better tomorrow.~ Draika laughed at that silly thought.
"No…" She whispered, setting aside her tray to lie down again. "It never gets better."