(4)Turn Of Events

Professor Snape fell to the ground as Bellatrix fled into the forest, away from Hogwarts & to the forest edge beyond. Snape tried to get up, wondering what she had cursed him with. What were those strange words again? He was holding his left side where the spell had hit him. There was a cut, but it appeared to be superficial; however, the effect on Snape was much worse. He tried returning to the castle but the effect of the curse brought him again, down to the ground. I should never have sent Albus back to help at the castle! Snape thought darkly. He had underestimated Bellatrix this time & he knew it! He also knew that unless a miracle happened, he would never return to the castle....alive. he curse had something about death in it & its final effect was coming fast. Snape could already fell himself beginning to fade. But then, as if Merlin heard a prayer, the miracle came!

Back at Hogwarts, Dumbledore was already planning t return to the forest to search for Snape. Professor Mcgonagall & Professor Lupin, who had just come on a visit & fortunately not a moment to soon, were part of the Headmaster's search team. They were just about out the door when Harry came bounding up to them in a hurry. "Dumbledore, sir, are you going into the forest?"

"Yes, Harry & no you can't join us this time!" Dumbledore laughed softly. "Besides, why would you want to help find your 'favourite' teacher?" he added, looking curiously at Harry with a half-smile & raising a eyebrow.

Harry looked away, feeling somewhat silly but finally, he managed to look back at Dumbledore. "It's not him I'm worried about, sir! It's Merida." Noticing Dumbledore's question marks on his face, Harry realized that Dumbledore didn't know of Merida being in the forest with, Ron & Hermione. "Merida of Gryfindor House? She was with us earlier in the forest but we got separated & she hasn't returned either!"

"Merlin's mercy, man!" Professor Lupin exclaimed. Harry jumped! In his haste, he hadn't notice that Lupin was here! "Miss Hepburn is in the forest?" Lupin went on. "ALONE?!"

"Yes, we got separated!" Harry said again, wondering why Lupin would know of Merida when Harry, himself, had barely met her. Harry didn't remember mentioning her last name. "It was an accident, leaving her behind! I thought she was with Ron or Hermione & they thought she was with me."

"Alright, Harry," Dumbledore said. "We'll look for her too." They turned to leave for the forest. Dumbledore raised his hand a second time to the door handle.

Something was moving in the bushes. Professor Snape lay as still a possible, hoping to stay unnoticed. The forest was known to contain many predators; not to mention the Centuars, who weren't to friendly with humans with the exception of Firenze. Snape heard the thudding of trotting hoofbeats & hoped it was a unicorn, just a gentle unicorn & not a Centuar. But it wasn't a unicorn & it wasn't a Centuar either! Snape just stared at it! What in the Dark Lord's name was a muggle horse doing in this forest of all forests? It was a black mare with a silvery white mane & tail, a Flaxen horse. A beauty of a horse but still a muggle horse! As she passed through the few rays of sunlight poking through here & there, a hidden dark silvery line would appear in the fur on her right side, similar to black panther spots that could only be seen in a certain light. The mare trotted up to Professor Snape & knelt down beside him, offering a ride. "You want me to ride you? You don't have reins! How can I even master you?" Snape asked the horse. The mare stood up & snorted, letting Snape know she was THOROUGHLY insulted, so it seemed to the Professor. OK that's it! Snape scolded himself. I'm losing it! I'm done for! Talking to a muggle horse, Severus! Good Merlin, how low can I go? The mare got down again, keeping one big eye on him with an 'if-you-insult-me-again-i'll-leave!' attitude in her gaze! Well, what else could go wrong? "OH! It can't get any worse than this can it?" Snape asked himself aloud. He grabbed the mare's long, thick mane & pulled himself on. As the horse got up, Snape felt as if a sword had been jammed into his wound as a searing pain suddenly shocked him. "Ah!Mmm! Obviously it can!" he muttered. Now, Professor Snape was in a REAL bad mood! The Flaxen nickered softly (Snape felt she was laughing at him & scowled!) & trotted out the forest to the castle, entering into a canter on the wide open grounds towards the main door. She knelt down again to let Snape off. He put a hand out for the handle-----------------& fell right through the door as Dumbledore opened it! Mcgonagall & Lupin managed to catch him on his way down!

"Quickly, now!" Dumbledore ordered. "Get him to the hospital wing. Severus, how did you get here?"

"You're not going to believe this," Professor Snape started. "but we have a muggle horse loose in our forest! I rode her back." He leaned onto Mcgonagall & Lupin as they led him to the hospital. Dumbledor glanced at the horse & noticed the silvery line of fur on her side. He smiled softly! That was no muggle horse standing out there. There was something special about it, he knew that much. The fur line was really an imprinted word, Mystique, possibly the mare's name.....& perhaps a deeper meaning as well.

Dumbledore closed the door as the mare ran back into the forest. He wanted to ask Snape something before TRYING to head out one last time to find Merida! He followed the others to the hospital wing; Harry close behind him. Harry hung back a bit while the Professors & Headmaster exchanged a few words.

"Severus, did you happen to see Miss Hepburn while you were in the forest?" Dumbledore asked.

"No. Why? Was she with them?" Snape asked, referring to Harry, Ron & Hermione.

"Of course!" Dumbledore said firmly. "They're Gryfindors & stick together!" Snape knew that tone of finality. No points from Gryfindor today!

"Oh, Severus!" sighed Madam Pomfrey, the doctor. "What happened to you?" She was examining the wound that the spell had made. Professor Snape glanced at it & froze in horror. What looked like a handle to a sword was pierced into him; however, it was transparent & felt like grasping air when one tried to pull on it. Snape & Pomfrey looked at each other a moment then back at the handle in his side. "Maybe.....just maybe there's----hmmm. X-ray!" muttered Pomfrey. From her wand tip came a beam of light & Pomfrey could see the rest of the spell inside him. A sword, but a small one. Or was it? Suddenly, within the X-ray beam, red letters started to form into a word: 'Growth.' The blade was getting longer slowly, ever so slowly, but getting longer & aiming for Professor Snape's heart!

He sighed in spite of the jabbing pain it caused. "Definitely can get worse!" he muttered to himself. "What next?"

Dumbledore, Mcgonagall & Lupin were again out the door but went no further than the front steps. There, sprinting across the ground was Merida who was being chased be an insane Ford Anglia! The car skidded to a stop, whirled around & retreated back to the forest as merida bounded up the stairs & past the now ex-search team who were no longer needed! She watched the car disappear & then turned to Dumbledore. "Anything else about this place that I should know about?!" She was half-teasing & half-serious.

Dumbledore laughed out loud. "Just ask your friend Ron Weasley! He'll explain everything! Harry? Oh there you are! Take her to Ron!"

"Yes sir!" Harry tried not to laugh but failed.

"Oh shut up, Potter!" Merida scolded.