Well…thank you for reading. This is the final chapter. You can make what you will of the last line…there may be an epilogue. Again, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. This story has been a true blessing for me, and I can't think how I would have expressed all the sorrows and tragedies of the past year without you.
You are truly, all of you, my rescuers.
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~Draika~
Chapter Eighteen: Survivor
"Oh my god…" Someone gasped in the brief moment of shock and silence that even Sraelyth fell prey to. A different look had come into the eyes of Draika's friend. Not anger, or lethargy, or even fright. He was, for the first time, emotionless.
Dumbledore watched Sraelyth, wand still raised. The other teachers had still not taken action, even though their task of herding the students was nullified for the brief spot of time. The Snape-thing fell to his--its?--knees, head bowed. Sraelyth raised a claw, and the room took a collective shudder. But he did not strike or roar…he turned, picking up the body. A muffled sound of vomiting reached Draika's ears, but save for that and the scraping of Sraelyth's talons on the hard floor, there was no noise. Instead of leaving, as she expected, he turned again…fixing her with his gaze. Without a word he reached for her, too, tucking her in his forearm. The stench of death even stronger, Draika buried her face in his flesh as she suppressed her own urge to vomit.
No one moved as Sraelyth made his laborious exit out the shattered window, or even after he was well gone. I assure you that they did indeed resume motion at some point in the story, but Draika was not around to see exactly when that event occurred.
Sraelyth flexed his wings open, leaping into the air with seemingly no effort…but Draika knew better by now. The weight of two humans and the drag of night air would have him exhausted by the time they reached…
~What? Where do you think you're going to go now?!~ Her mind mocked. ~Do you really think this can end well? Fool! You're worse than Blaise was. It can never end well.~
The moon was hidden; the stars gone. No light dared show face on the darkest of nights, the darkest in all Sraelyth's memory. The girl would not be safe, ever. Not after what he had prevented.
*But…* He thought *It might have been worse to do nothing at all and then stand idly by as she lived the rest of her days in filth and decay…* He sighed, straining his willpower to stay aloft. It was going to be a long night…
Draika peered out, but at first saw nothing. Then the familiar yellow tint came to her, letting her see just the barest hint of what might be the far edge of the forest…or the near edge? Her mind spun, overtaxed. Too much had happened. But she would not let exhaustion take her this time, one of her worst enemies. She would fight it and win…finally win…
A sharp jerk nearly threw her from Sraelyth's grip, but he held fast to the girl.
"Sorry about that." He grunted, folding his wings after tossing what was left of Blaise behind a tree. He placed Draika on the ground, settling down to her eye level. "But you're safe now."
Rage bubbled up inside of Draika. "I WAS safe! I was safe there! I was…" She stopped. "…I was happy there."
"Were you really?" Sraelyth replied. "Think about it."
Draika thought. She had friends…or did. She had a roof over her head and all the steak she could ever eat. The ability to talk with animals and a room to herself.
"Well…I'm happy with what I have, I guess." She admitted. What was she happy with, anyhow? Everything was so confusing.
The snap of a twig made her start, muscles suddenly tense.
"Don't be alarmed." Sraelyth raised a talon. "It's just my brother."
"…brother?" Draika said disbelievingly, looking at the Snape-thing. For Snape-thing it was, in all its mimicry of Snape. "..him?"
"Hello, wand-thief." The Snape-thing said coldly. "You should have let me kill her…" He said to Sraelyth, eyes darting from dragon to girl so fast it made Draika's head spin.
"Silence, O.L." Sraelyth snapped. "You know that would undo…everything."
"When is someone going to start explaining things?" Draika demanded, dizziness forcing her to sit on the forest floor. They were quite near the edge…which edge it was was still unclear.
"Soon." O.L. huffed, glaring at Sraelyth. "I think I deserve some answers too, brother." He spat, scowling at his surroundings.
"Silence!" Sraelyth growled, baring his fangs at O.L. "Must I tell you again?"
"…no…you mustn't."
Draika had more than a good guess as to who Sraelyth was. She wasn't deaf and dumb, after all, two qualities I trust that you are also lacking.
"When can we get to the bottom of it, Severus?" She asked, heavy-hearted. "You know so much…"
Sraelyth sighed. "You were smarter than I had hoped…allowing you to see my brother was such a mistake, a mistake that should not have happened." He glared at O.L., managing to be livid even in a state of calm. "The gryphons have left, Draika. Without O.L. to plague them, their home is now inhabitable once again."
"…how long was he…you…"
"All year." O.L. kicked at a stone. "Whenever no close contact with you was required, I would pose as your professor. The changes are so minute in him and I, but glaringly obvious to people such as you."
"…I see." Draika forced her face to remain straight. What would this new knowledge mean? Then something Snape said clicked into place. "The gryphons! All of them? When?!" Her heart dropped into her stomach with a sickening splat. Linwe had probably been her only real friend since entering the castle…even Srae--no, Snape. It was Snape now…even he had used her to some extent.
"I had to either stop them or you…and Crevyl is more powerful than either of us could have hoped." Sraelyth closed his eyes for a brief moment, gathering his thoughts. "They meant to take you with them, Draika. I couldn't let that happen."
"The stupid sap feels responsible for you, girl." O.L. rolled his eyes. "You've invoked his long gone sense of duty. Congratulations." The comment fell flat on the crisp winter air.
"That is true." Snape twitched his tail. "And you should not be so ashamed, brother."
"And…Dumbledore…knew?"
"Indeed. He knew it was me, which would account for his lack of taking action tonight. He knew…everything, I suppose. He was aware I was not going to let you leave, and was prepared. The death of the boy…regrettable, but in the past." Something in his tone made Draika suspicious.
"You're still not telling me something!" She nearly yelled, head throbbing.
Snape hesitated, before disappearing in a cloud of black smoke.
"Hey!" O.L. immediately leapt up. "We had a deal, Snape! A DEAL!"
~A deal.~ Draika narrowed her eyes. "What kind of deal?" She turned on O.L, fierce.
The man cowered, hands trembling. "I…I would…we…" He shook his head. "Not so much a deal, but an agreement, a compromise, an allying…we could….help each other to help you…"
"That's not an answer!" She reached out with a clawed hand, squeezing his neck. The rage flowed through her so freely, taking control of her every thought and motion. He twitched, gasping as she pinched his flesh.
"…please…" He collapsed as she let him drop onto the forest floor. "It was all for the best, all of it." O.L. gasped for air, wiping the blood from his neck.
Draika snorted, quickly leaving the weakened man behind as she began to run through the forest almost blindly, searching for Snape. Only he would have the answers, only he could tell her…if he chose to. And if he decided to never be found, he never would. She sighed, dragging her claws along the hard winter bark of an old oak tree.
~I'll bet this has been here for hundreds of years…~ She looked up to its leafy boughs, briefly calmed. ~…before Hogwarts? Before Dumbledore and Sraelyth and everything else that I know?~ A piece of bark came away, falling to the damp earth without a sound, without a complaint.
Trees did not complain. Trees did not try to better their conditions or manipulate others for their own benefit. Trees were selfless, but uncaring. The world went on around them while they stayed, trapped in time, doomed to remain artifices of the land until someone decided that they needed to go. And they would, without complaint. Because trees did not complain.
~Survival of the fittest.~ Draika felt something tug at her heart as she looked up to the sky. The clouds had parted, showing the multitudes of burning stars. And Draika could swear, for just a moment, that she was among them.
A star in the infinite blackness, searching for a reason. She cried, for the first time since she could remember.
The stars cried with her. The tree offered little sympathy, but managed to comfort her with a rough wall to lean against. The animals were gone, her hope faded. Where were the other stars? Should she not be surrounded with joy? The night would not end happily. This she knew, sinking into a defeated crouch upon the frozen ground.
The Potions master of Hogwarts closed his book, which was written in rust-colored ink.
~Goodbye…~
You are truly, all of you, my rescuers.
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~Draika~
Chapter Eighteen: Survivor
"Oh my god…" Someone gasped in the brief moment of shock and silence that even Sraelyth fell prey to. A different look had come into the eyes of Draika's friend. Not anger, or lethargy, or even fright. He was, for the first time, emotionless.
Dumbledore watched Sraelyth, wand still raised. The other teachers had still not taken action, even though their task of herding the students was nullified for the brief spot of time. The Snape-thing fell to his--its?--knees, head bowed. Sraelyth raised a claw, and the room took a collective shudder. But he did not strike or roar…he turned, picking up the body. A muffled sound of vomiting reached Draika's ears, but save for that and the scraping of Sraelyth's talons on the hard floor, there was no noise. Instead of leaving, as she expected, he turned again…fixing her with his gaze. Without a word he reached for her, too, tucking her in his forearm. The stench of death even stronger, Draika buried her face in his flesh as she suppressed her own urge to vomit.
No one moved as Sraelyth made his laborious exit out the shattered window, or even after he was well gone. I assure you that they did indeed resume motion at some point in the story, but Draika was not around to see exactly when that event occurred.
Sraelyth flexed his wings open, leaping into the air with seemingly no effort…but Draika knew better by now. The weight of two humans and the drag of night air would have him exhausted by the time they reached…
~What? Where do you think you're going to go now?!~ Her mind mocked. ~Do you really think this can end well? Fool! You're worse than Blaise was. It can never end well.~
The moon was hidden; the stars gone. No light dared show face on the darkest of nights, the darkest in all Sraelyth's memory. The girl would not be safe, ever. Not after what he had prevented.
*But…* He thought *It might have been worse to do nothing at all and then stand idly by as she lived the rest of her days in filth and decay…* He sighed, straining his willpower to stay aloft. It was going to be a long night…
Draika peered out, but at first saw nothing. Then the familiar yellow tint came to her, letting her see just the barest hint of what might be the far edge of the forest…or the near edge? Her mind spun, overtaxed. Too much had happened. But she would not let exhaustion take her this time, one of her worst enemies. She would fight it and win…finally win…
A sharp jerk nearly threw her from Sraelyth's grip, but he held fast to the girl.
"Sorry about that." He grunted, folding his wings after tossing what was left of Blaise behind a tree. He placed Draika on the ground, settling down to her eye level. "But you're safe now."
Rage bubbled up inside of Draika. "I WAS safe! I was safe there! I was…" She stopped. "…I was happy there."
"Were you really?" Sraelyth replied. "Think about it."
Draika thought. She had friends…or did. She had a roof over her head and all the steak she could ever eat. The ability to talk with animals and a room to herself.
"Well…I'm happy with what I have, I guess." She admitted. What was she happy with, anyhow? Everything was so confusing.
The snap of a twig made her start, muscles suddenly tense.
"Don't be alarmed." Sraelyth raised a talon. "It's just my brother."
"…brother?" Draika said disbelievingly, looking at the Snape-thing. For Snape-thing it was, in all its mimicry of Snape. "..him?"
"Hello, wand-thief." The Snape-thing said coldly. "You should have let me kill her…" He said to Sraelyth, eyes darting from dragon to girl so fast it made Draika's head spin.
"Silence, O.L." Sraelyth snapped. "You know that would undo…everything."
"When is someone going to start explaining things?" Draika demanded, dizziness forcing her to sit on the forest floor. They were quite near the edge…which edge it was was still unclear.
"Soon." O.L. huffed, glaring at Sraelyth. "I think I deserve some answers too, brother." He spat, scowling at his surroundings.
"Silence!" Sraelyth growled, baring his fangs at O.L. "Must I tell you again?"
"…no…you mustn't."
Draika had more than a good guess as to who Sraelyth was. She wasn't deaf and dumb, after all, two qualities I trust that you are also lacking.
"When can we get to the bottom of it, Severus?" She asked, heavy-hearted. "You know so much…"
Sraelyth sighed. "You were smarter than I had hoped…allowing you to see my brother was such a mistake, a mistake that should not have happened." He glared at O.L., managing to be livid even in a state of calm. "The gryphons have left, Draika. Without O.L. to plague them, their home is now inhabitable once again."
"…how long was he…you…"
"All year." O.L. kicked at a stone. "Whenever no close contact with you was required, I would pose as your professor. The changes are so minute in him and I, but glaringly obvious to people such as you."
"…I see." Draika forced her face to remain straight. What would this new knowledge mean? Then something Snape said clicked into place. "The gryphons! All of them? When?!" Her heart dropped into her stomach with a sickening splat. Linwe had probably been her only real friend since entering the castle…even Srae--no, Snape. It was Snape now…even he had used her to some extent.
"I had to either stop them or you…and Crevyl is more powerful than either of us could have hoped." Sraelyth closed his eyes for a brief moment, gathering his thoughts. "They meant to take you with them, Draika. I couldn't let that happen."
"The stupid sap feels responsible for you, girl." O.L. rolled his eyes. "You've invoked his long gone sense of duty. Congratulations." The comment fell flat on the crisp winter air.
"That is true." Snape twitched his tail. "And you should not be so ashamed, brother."
"And…Dumbledore…knew?"
"Indeed. He knew it was me, which would account for his lack of taking action tonight. He knew…everything, I suppose. He was aware I was not going to let you leave, and was prepared. The death of the boy…regrettable, but in the past." Something in his tone made Draika suspicious.
"You're still not telling me something!" She nearly yelled, head throbbing.
Snape hesitated, before disappearing in a cloud of black smoke.
"Hey!" O.L. immediately leapt up. "We had a deal, Snape! A DEAL!"
~A deal.~ Draika narrowed her eyes. "What kind of deal?" She turned on O.L, fierce.
The man cowered, hands trembling. "I…I would…we…" He shook his head. "Not so much a deal, but an agreement, a compromise, an allying…we could….help each other to help you…"
"That's not an answer!" She reached out with a clawed hand, squeezing his neck. The rage flowed through her so freely, taking control of her every thought and motion. He twitched, gasping as she pinched his flesh.
"…please…" He collapsed as she let him drop onto the forest floor. "It was all for the best, all of it." O.L. gasped for air, wiping the blood from his neck.
Draika snorted, quickly leaving the weakened man behind as she began to run through the forest almost blindly, searching for Snape. Only he would have the answers, only he could tell her…if he chose to. And if he decided to never be found, he never would. She sighed, dragging her claws along the hard winter bark of an old oak tree.
~I'll bet this has been here for hundreds of years…~ She looked up to its leafy boughs, briefly calmed. ~…before Hogwarts? Before Dumbledore and Sraelyth and everything else that I know?~ A piece of bark came away, falling to the damp earth without a sound, without a complaint.
Trees did not complain. Trees did not try to better their conditions or manipulate others for their own benefit. Trees were selfless, but uncaring. The world went on around them while they stayed, trapped in time, doomed to remain artifices of the land until someone decided that they needed to go. And they would, without complaint. Because trees did not complain.
~Survival of the fittest.~ Draika felt something tug at her heart as she looked up to the sky. The clouds had parted, showing the multitudes of burning stars. And Draika could swear, for just a moment, that she was among them.
A star in the infinite blackness, searching for a reason. She cried, for the first time since she could remember.
The stars cried with her. The tree offered little sympathy, but managed to comfort her with a rough wall to lean against. The animals were gone, her hope faded. Where were the other stars? Should she not be surrounded with joy? The night would not end happily. This she knew, sinking into a defeated crouch upon the frozen ground.
The Potions master of Hogwarts closed his book, which was written in rust-colored ink.
~Goodbye…~