Penndragonne

By Tashasaphi

Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I own a holdall. Want to try it out? evil grin

Year 6 and all is not well at Hogwarts. After a devastating attack on the castle, the world is turned topsy turvy for the work-stressed Harry, and he finds a new light in a new companion…A story of love, friendship and abusing ones minions

WARNINGS: None.

A/N

CHAPTER 8! And I still haven't got much smut in! I promise, guys, soon! Very, very soon! This weekend at the Malfoys will set everything in motion. Ok, CHAPTER 10 is going to be the uber Lucius Malfoy and his minions smut I promised. Apart from cries of 'it's twisted and wrong!' I have had nothing but praise from my betas. I hope you will enjoy it.

This chapter is just me breaking up what was one stupidly long chapter into two at a relatively appropriate point. This chapter focuses on the hunt, where Parseltongue does Harry another favour...

Under eighteens, i.e. children, were all clumped together. There was a some sort of order to this. The under 12s were grouped a little further off, and the adults were all being arranged on build. Harry and Ron stood together, examining the others in there group. They generally all looked to be Malfoys, disdainful and cocky, strapping on dragon hide gloves and discussing the pegasi they kept at home and the herds of unicorns that frequented their properties. However, one boy, who looked more their age, who was adjusting suede gloves, and was wearing a pair of fitted coarse trousers rather than jodphurs, and a loose off white out-of-fashion shirt rather than a top quality riding jacket and cravat. Harry was pondering talking to the boy, who had ash blonde hair which brushed his shoulders, when a boy, no more than thirteen, and of the Malfoy condition, sauntered over.

'I'm so glad guests outside the family are allowed to compete,' he sneered. 'It gets so drab thrashing ones siblings repeatedly.' Harry and Ron exchanged looks.

'It's not really a competition,' Ron managed. The boy gave him a piercing glare up his irritating small, yet straight nose.

'I don't recall asking your opinion of the proceedings, peasant,' the boy drawled, eying Ron's red hair. Harry elbowed Ron as if to remind him that the brat was skirting five foot and looked about as robust as a trifle when he saw his friend stiffen up.

'Never mind, eh?' Harry sighed, trying peace-keep. The boy's older sister (she looked about fifteen) sauntered up and tapped him on the head.

'Please ignore him,' she growled, shooing him away. 'He's just irritated because I threatened that they were going to give him a donkey instead of a chimera.' She smiled, fluttering her eyelashes, particularly at Harry, which made Ron stifle a snicker with coughing. 'Constance Harbridge-Malfoy. A pleasure.' Harry nodded.

'Nice to meet you,' Harry said genially. The girl's smile broadened, her eyes glittering maliciously.

'Of course, you need no introductions,' she said sweetly. Harry felt his hackles rising, but ignored them.

'Hmm,' he managed to reply tersely. She smirked. The boy with the dirty blonde hair sighed, strapping something to his thigh. It looked like a water flask. The girl shot him a dirty look. Harry was the one to sigh this time, and her dirty look, for a second time, fell on an uncaring figure. She stomped off back to her siblings, shooting foul glares at the pair of them, whilst ignoring Ron entirely. Harry was about to speak to the other boy when he suddenly walked forward through the crowd and swung himself up on the back of something Harry couldn't see. When it trotted in very arrogant and agitated circles out of the crowd, Harry saw it to be a Pegasus, sleek roan, with it's large red-brown wings beating pointlessly and scattering feathers. It's flight feathers were brutally clipped. In one gloves hand the boy held the reins of the startled beast, and in the other, leashes attached to five other beasts of various and possibly inbred description. Any wings had been crippled. Harry felt a little ill as the boy booted the pegasus in the sides and it shot off, dragging the other animals behind it, trying to keep up as they ran into the woods.

'Come on,' said a man nearby, grabbing him and Ron back from their gawping to lead them over towards the corrals. Harry and Ron were aware of deep, bloody eyes gazing at them, a mixture of curiosity and hunger. Harry was examining, when a pair of strong hands gripped his waist and hefted him onto a block. He cried out in surprise, his hands falling forwards and connecting with soft hide. The chimera barked in a creepy tritone protest.

'Careful, boy,' said the large man who had hefted him. 'Now, foot in right stirrup...' Harry complied and was shoved onto the beasts back. He saw that Ron was getting the same treatment nearby, looking equally terrified. Once seated in the large, comfortable saddle, Harry took time to look over the beast. It was a deep bluish black, with a stormy grey muzzle and tufty hair along it's neck, interspersed with bony crests.

'Steer with the reins,' the man told him vaguely. 'Vocally command them otherwise. They're pretty smart.' Harry nodded meekly, before feeling a jolt as Ron poorly steered his chimera. Harry's chimera puffed out and bayed, before eyeing the other. The beasts (Ron's was a dappled gold) looked at each other before baying and chattering away in some dialect.

'Are you gonna follow the hunt?' Ron asked. Harry shook his head. Ron agreed. 'Me neither. Like I need to watch some poor defenceless pegasus getting torn up.' Harry pointed to the woods.

'We could just go for a wander. When else are we gonna get a chance like this?'

'Good point,' Ron agreed. The Chimeras eyed each other knowingly.

Of course, riding a chimera proved to be far less simple than riding a broomstick. As Ron has so eloquently suggested earlier, they were, for a start, a lot wider. Also, they got snappy if you kicked them, and there was no broom handle to yank yourself around by, only the leather reins. And it turned out the two chimera Ron and Harry were riding did not approve of people trying to control them. They did not approve at all. In fact, they would start attacking each other, or their opposite rider's legs if the reins were even held to tightly. In this way, Harry and Ron had ended up stuck at the back of the hunt as the huge lead beasts set the pace, snorting in the scents of the ground. Harry didn't deny it was a new, almost fun experience, but he had wanted to go exploring the grounds. Suddenly, the two chimera stopped. Ron jolted forward onto the neck of his, and it barked irritably. Ron reverently apologised.

'What's going on?' he asked Harry. Harry shrugged. The chimeras stood, watching the group move away, before grinning and muttering to each other. They both turned their heads to look at Harry, before snorting to each other, turning on their heels and breaking into a run away from the group.

'Wah!' Harry exclaimed, clinging on, helpless. Ron tried to pull his Chimera up.

'Stop stop!' He cried, but it fell on deaf ears. The Chimeras kept shooting each other meaningful glances, before bursting forwards even faster.

'Slow down!' Harry tried in earnest, but the Chimera's brayed to each other, bounding through the dense underbrush of the woodlands, dodging slim pale tree trunks, leaping ditches and springing to higher banks, pushing higher, faster and faster, Harry had pressed himself to his beast's neck, clinging as tightly as he could, trying to ignore the knocks his knees and back took from branches and passing trees. Ron's cries of pain quickly stopped as he too bound himself to the beast's back. The whole world seemed to be a pinched-shut world of blackness, punctuated with the whizzing wind, snap of branches, thunder of feet on loam and the occasional rattle of a bird's call or the whir of wings. The chimera Harry rode smelt like life, rich and grassy, and it's plunging shoulders began to lurch more violently, before coming to a heavily stillness. The whizzing had stopped. Harry could feel the burn of dappled sunlight on his back, hear small birds chattering enough, and the gentle breeze causing a creak to the branches. This soft melody was given rhythm by the heaving breaths of the Chimera, and suddenly syncopated by bracken crackling and thudding feet drawing to a stop close by. It was now that Harry dared to open his eyes. He sat up instantaneously. The Chimeras were both staring straight ahead, out from this cleared plateaux across the valley, over the village, the manor and the grounds. The horns of the hunts played in the distance. Ron whimpered nearby as his Chimera moved off, walking towards a well that populated the grassy space, dipping it's snout into the water. Something hissed inside, but was ignored.

'Ron, you alright?' Harry asked, guilty for breaking the quiet. Ron opened his eyes meekly, before sitting up.

'Sort of,' he managed dryly. Harry's Chimera shook itself and Harry was nearly thrown from it. Ron managed to laugh. They looked at each other, smiling.

'Well that was different,' Ron gasped. Harry nodded.

'Definitely not trading in my broom just yet,' he joked. Ron's Chimera padded back towards Harry's. The pair looked at each other, mumbling, before glaring into the surrounding trees.

'What do you reckon they're on about?' Ron pondered. His Chimera's head shot up suddenly, and fixed Harry with it's rich auburn eyes.

'Off,' it said, quite plainly. Harry choked.

'Excuse me!' He managed. Ron frowned.

'What's it hissing at you for?' He wondered, before tossing his reins. 'Knock it off, you!' The Chimera turned and barked at Ron, who desisted, before fixing it's eyes on Harry again.

'You understand?' it asked, using a heavily accented voice. Harry nodded meekly. The Chimera frowned.

'Then,' it paused. 'Off!' Harry swallowed hard.

'Are you hearing this Ron!' he breathed.

'Hearing what?' Ron asked, dejectedly. Harry frowned, before looking at the Chimera. It snorted, crinkling a dished nose.

'Off!' It insisted. Something clicked, and Harry stared at the Chimera's swishing tail, allowing it in his mind to morph into and arrow headed, flickering tongued entity.

'You speak parseltongue?' He finally hissed.

'Harry, you're hissing!' Ron complained, before something appeared to click in his mind. He mouthed an 'oh' and sat on the Chimera's back quietly. The Chimera eyed Harry cautiously.

'Do you?' it finally responded. Harry smirked.

'Yes.'

'Good. You parseltongue. You understand. You off.' The other chimera turned it's head, nudging Harry's leg with it's nose. The pale chimera looked at it's now grumbling counterpart, before eyeing Harry again.

'Thron say "human small", but still, off please.'

'What are they saying?' Ron said meekly.

'I think they want us to get off,' Harry responded.

'What? You're still hissing!'

'Wah! Sorry,' Harry managed, his vocal chords switching back. 'They want us to get off.' Harry looked at the golden Chimera. It appeared to smile and nodded. Gently, Harry slipped his legs free from their holsters and swung around and off, collapsing onto the floor. His dark Chimera, who apparently was called 'Thron', gazed at him in what Harry took to be a patronising fashion. Ron was still trying to get his holster buckles undone. His Chimera, who was smaller boned, hissed hatefully.

'Human heavy,' it complained. 'Off now please!'

'Hurry up,' Harry insisted, helping Ron with the lower buckles, before hauling him off the Chimera. They both fell onto the floor. The small chimera shook itself off, puffing bird call like noises and stamping. Harry and Ron scrambled to their feet. Thron nudged his smaller counterpart and mumbled something. The golden chimera nodded.

'Thron say "Humans sit"...' it fumbled for a word. 'Near water. Sit, please.'

'It's days like this when I wish I was a snake...' Ron groaned.

'We need to sit down,' Harry translated. 'On those little benches by the well.'

'You don't think they're gonna try and eat us...'

'They can't,' Harry said quickly, near dragging Ron over. 'We've got pendants on, remember?' The boys settled quickly, resting against the cool, thick green moss that coated the benches and the well. After a brief muttered discussion, Thron and his smaller friend turned and padded slowly towards the boys, before lying down a couple of metres away, in a similar fashion to that of a dog. There was a foreboding, awkward silence as the chimeras eyed Harry with curiosity.

'Erm...' Harry paused, imagining a snake in his head. 'Why did you bring us here?' The golden Chimera frowned.

'Rude,' it snapped. 'Speak name. We speak name. Then... speaking.' Harry sighed.

'Harry,' he explained. 'I'm Harry, and this is Ron.' Thron bowed his head a little. The smaller Chimera growled.

'This Thron,' it said warily. 'And I... Ferris.'

'Nice to meet you.' Ferris frowned at him. Harry quickly translated for Ron.

'Thron and Ferris,' Ron mused. 'Did they say why we're here yet?' Harry shook his head.

'Erm... Ferris?'

'My name. Yes.'

'Ferris... why did you bring us here?' Ferris pondered this for a second, nudging Thron and asking something, before turning back to Harry.

'Thron want speak you,' it said. 'He has... brother. Small brother. He see you. He say you speak parseltongue to lizard. He say you parseltongue.' Ferris paused. 'Thron curious.'

'So why did you come along? And why did you bring Ron?' Ferris sighed.

'Thron no parseltongue. Ferris speak parseltongue. Ferris help.' The Chimera snorted.

'Heavy boy on Ferris. He come. I... not like. I not strong.' Thron chuckled something, nudging Ferris. 'Thron say Ferris weak. Thron say he has question for parseltongue boy.'

'What's going on?' Ron hissed.

'They want to ask me something,' Harry muttered, before focusing on the snaky image in his mind.

'Ask away.' Thron suddenly went into a spiel of grunts and growls, hissings and barks, leaving the smaller, daintier Ferris looking bewildered.

'Thron say...' it paused. 'Thron say you are parseltongue. He say you speak and understand. He also say lizard like you. Lizard is clever. Lizard knows much. We trust lizard well. If he like you, we like you. Thron say this great... honour... for parseltongue boy.'

'I am honoured,' Harry managed. Everything was just a little too surreal for him. Ferris continued.

'Thron... Thron say he ask you question.' Ferris paused. Thron growled at his translator, and it hurriedly continued. 'He want know if you help him.'

'Help him do what?' Harry pursued. Ferris looked around warily.

'Go away,' it hissed. Harry frowned.

'I don't understand,' he whispered. Ferris sighed.

'Parseltongue... hard. I try.' The chimera composed itself. 'Malfoy keep chimera. Keep many... but kill many. When small... fur good. When older... hard to get fur.' Ferris almost dared Harry to laugh. He declined. 'Head Malfoy, we no like. No chimera like him. He... not like Lord Maker. Son is better, but gone. Now, only Head Malfoy. We no like. Thron hate him. Ferris... I not meet him.' Thron chewed at an itch on his muscular leg. 'Thron want go away. Want come back when Head Malfoy dead. Ferris... I want go with Thron. Thron want go... for Ferris... Ferris baby. Ferris is new mate of Thron.' Ferris looked a little flustered. 'I have no baby yet. No baby at all. Thron baby is first baby. Thron worried for Ferris and baby. Ferris is weak. Ferris is small. Baby is big maybe. Thron want go Dragon keeper. Romania he want go. Raise baby... away.' Ferris looked strained.

'Thron wants to take you and your unborn child away to raise it, so Lucius Malfoy can't have it.'

'Yes,' Ferris sighed, slumping a little. 'To Dragon keeper. Look like heavy boy. Dragon keeper.'

'Ron,' Harry hissed. 'They want to go and see Charlie!'

'Whaaa?' Ron managed. He had been dozing. The hissing was oddly therapeutic.

'What can we do?' Harry asked. Ferris snorted.

'We trade,' she said firmly. 'You take tack from Ferris and Thron. Ferris and Thron go free.' She frowned. 'What want you?'

'In return?' Harry asked. Thron heaved himself to his feet, eyes on the sky as a hawk flew overhead.

'Yes,' Ferris said clearly. 'In riitern.' Harry smiled a little as she tried to pronounce the word.

'I... don't know,' Harry managed. 'Nothing I guess.'

'Must be something,' Ferris snarled. 'No trade if nothing.' Harry sat perplexed for a few moments, before Thron cut in, muttering. Ron was whistling in a petulant sort of way, watching faint clouds scudder across the autumnal crisp sky. Harry felt vaguely guilty. This was almost sort of like a holiday he was spending with Ron and his family... behind enemy lines... but either way, speaking parseltongue always got his friend's back up, and this extended conversation appeared to get to him.

'They're trying to escape,' Harry said softly as Ferris got to her feet, shaking herself off.

'Why?' Ron answered after finishing the tune he had been whistling.

'The one you were riding, Ferris. She's pregnant, and the bigger one, Thorn is trying to take her away to a safe place. He doesn't trust Malfoy.'

'Funny, since he's their master,' Ron shot back somewhat darkly. Harry frowned.

'They want to go and stay with Charlie. In Romania. If we set them free, they say they'll trade that for something...'

'What?'

'Whatever we want, I guess.'

'Thron say "Parseltongue boy lose small dragon." This true?' Ferris' interruption caught Harry off guard.

'What did she say?' Harry hissed something, before switching back.

'She... she asked about Silver!'

'How could she know about that!'

'Thron say nephew in house see you speak to lizard. Nephew see and hear much in house.'

'You know where Silver is!' Harry hissed. Ferris snorted.

'Maybe Thron knows. Maybe... you take tack and we go, and Thron tell you. Trade.' Harry eyed her suspiciously. Ron sighed.

'They want to be let go in return for information about the midget, right?' he drawled. Harry nodded. Ferris looked taken aback.

'Heavy boy speak parseltongue?' She asked incredulously. Harry laughed.

'No,' he chuckled. 'He's just guessing. You speak English, though?'

'Understand. Not speak. Even Thron understand.' Ron sighed.

'I say do it. Better than having you sulking all weekend.' Harry elbowed him. Ferris' eyes sparkled a little.

'We trade?' She asked. Harry got up.

'Ron, help me.' Ron complied. The boys got up and began fiddling with catches on the saddles. Ron hefted at Thron's saddle.

'This thing must be welded on!' He grumbled. Thron nudged him and Ron flinched. Thron grumbled, eyes a hazel sort of brown.

'Thron say to heavy boy,' Ferris began, laughing. '"Humans not taste good. Thron not eat Heavy boy. Thron very grateful for taking tack away."' Harry opened his mouth to translate, but noted that Ron was laughing, patting the large dark beast's neck.

'Don't worry,' Ron said, 'I get it.' The boy hurried on with their task as best they could, Ferris and Thron both offering encouragement, and Ferris advice.

'Pull left tab hard... not so hard!' The saddle clamped a little harder.

'Wrong tab...' Harry apologised meekly as the pregnant female stamped angrily. There was a loud thump followed by a gleeful bark as Thron saddle fell like a sack of lead from his back and thundered into the floor, scattering a flock of fairies that had descended into a flower patch. The buzzed, irritably, away, and a thin, luminescent scaly head snapped out of the well, snapping up a few as they went past. Ron shuddered.

'Oi, you could have warned us about that when we sitting next to it!' He said pointedly to Ferris. She snorted.

'Tell boy that he not worth wyvern's time to chew,' she ordered. Harry undid the final buckle and tried to life the saddle off.

'I'll... pass,' he said lightly. Ferris leant to one side and the saddle pounded into the floor with an ominous thud. Harry could see a few patches where her light hair nearly gave way to her pale skin where the heavy thing had rubbed. She looked almost frail without it bulking her up, and despite the bump where her calf lurked, she was painfully thin.

'Malfoy's a jerk,' Harry growled. Ron snorted.

'You don't say...' he joked. Harry rummaged in his pocket.

'Did you bring any of the chocolate with you?' He asked after going through one and coming up short.

'Why?' Ron asked, tangling himself up in the complex double bridle Thron was stuck with.

'Never mind,' Harry unfurled the half eaten, slightly soft bar he'd stashed, before quickly unfurling the packaging and proffering it to Ferris.

'Eat,' he said forcefully. She turned her head away.

'Not pet,' she growled. 'Not out of hands I eat.' Harry sighed and bent down to put it on the floor. Ferris knocked him with her foot.

'Not with bridle. Take away... then Ferris eat happily.' Harry sighed and pressed on with his task. Ferris and Thron's bridles were different, hers being smaller and perhaps less complex, but Harry, who had never dealt with something like this before struggled to say the east. The bridle had studs, the bit barbs, and by the time he felt half way done his hands were scratched raw. Ron seemed to be faring a little better, and Thron seemed more easy going and accommodating. Ferris was stressed out and sensitive and, of course, kept offering Harry tips and commands which made him tense.

'You pull tighter!' She complained. 'Unclip, then let go... wrong clip... what is boy doing?... Left!... No... Right!... No!...' Harry sighed, trying to be patient. Thron barked behind him as Ron finally slipped off the last of the bridle, quickly undoing the neck strap.

'How did you do it!' Harry whined. Ron flushed a little.

'I live on a farm, remember?' Thron shook himself off and suddenly started trotting around, as if testing his freedom. He looked like an excitable puppy, but as if he had been inflated to twice his size, his deep chest filled with air, his eyes bright and fiery, his coat glossed and his stamina rejuvenated. Harry some how doubted the same transformation would take place when he finally got this wretched thing of the irritable chimera's face. He could see in her eyes that if it wasn't for the two chains around his neck, she'd have mauled him by now. Ron stepped over.

'Just undo those buckles and lift it off,' he instructed. Harry felt a bit stupid, but after doing as he was told, untangling a few things, and lifting very slowly and carefully, the bit dropped through Ferris' unnervingly sharp teeth. She chewed the emptiness in her mouth for a few moments, before shaking herself off. She seemed, a bit wilder, her tufted mane now in disarray, flopping into her eyes like spun sunshine. However, she still looked haunted. Harry wondered if this was how all the weaker of Malfoy's 'pets' ended up looking. Ethereal. Dead inside. Lost. A pang struck him when he thought of Silver, lost in the mansion. He tossed it aside.

'Eat,' he said. 'It's good.' Ferris didn't see it as important to address him before tucking it, licking the packaging clean. Thron barged her, sniffing the packaging when she stumbled away. She looked irritated, but made no sound at all.

'Oi!' Harry protested. Thron looked at him, before grumbling in a carefree manner. He walked over to Ron, before extending his claws and swiping across Ron's trousers.

'Gah!' Ron managed as his relatively new trousers were shredded on one side, and some Honeydukes goodies fell out. Thron snorted and meekly Ferris plodded over, before dropping her head, fighting with the wrapping to open the treats. Harry knelt down sighing.

'You need thumbs,' he said, avoiding her teeth and opening one. Ferris ate ravenously. It was junk food, but apparently it was better than nothing.

'You want,' she gasped between sweet mouthfuls, 'news of little dragon?'

'If you like,' Harry said gently. Ferris snorted, nipping Thron's shoulder. He was enamoured with the sky, and had been watching a flock of geese fly over. He yelped, before the two engaged in a short conversation. Ferris frowned.

'Bad news,' she said. 'Thron says nephew saw little dragon with night beast. Then, dragon in pot.'

'In a pot? Night beast?' Harry asked avidly. Ferris ignored him.

'Bad man has him now. We know no more.'

'Who are these people? These beasts?' Ferris shivered as Thron sniffed the chocolate curiously.

'We not speak names,' she said bitterly. 'We hate these more than we hate Malfoy.' She frowned. 'Night beast and Bad man... animals. Malfoy's pets. We... fear of them.'

'So Silver is...' Harry tried. Ferris nudged him.

'Little dragon make smell when die,' she said. 'Nephew not smell. Little dragon live.' Harry felt odd relief wash over him. He felt ridiculous. It was just a pet. At best a present from his best friend. How had it so quickly come to mean more than that? Thron suddenly puffed out his wings, nearly taking off Ron's head with the streamlined, strong flaps. He snorted, broke into a sudden run and beat free of the plateaux, scattering gravel and clods of wild turf as he soared like a huge crow into the sky, relishing the feeling of freedom. Ferris said nothing, busied by finishing the chocolate.

'Well,' Ron said bleakly. 'I guess we're walking back.' Harry groaned.

'Guess so,' he grumbled. Ferris was stretching out her wings, eyeing the sky and all it's feathered prizes. She looked at the boys.

'Final deal,' she said firmly. 'For food, Thron and I take you down.' She looked at Ron. 'No more whine like pup.' Harry laughed and thanked her. Ron looked confused.

Within minutes they were soaring down on the near deserted Malfoy manor, her beautiful carved outcroppings, her smooth lines, her ornate brick work embossed by the falling sun. It was very nearly sunset. The winter evenings were creeping in fast. Harry and Ron were clinging to the bare backs of the impressive beasts. It brought back memories of riding Buckbeak. Harry quickly swallowed thoughts of Sirius. Sirius wouldn't have wanted him to dwell. Several people, including his own conscience had reminded him of that, and he had stuck by it. Suddenly he found himself pressed against the hairy neck of Ferris as she back winged, yipping irritably. Thron seemed equally ill amused. Ron was swearing as he began to slip off, but Thron nudged him back into place. The creatures hovered, snorting, puffing and blowing in an unhappy sort of way.

'What's wrong?' Harry asked in a hushed hiss. Ferris was trembling a little, partially from strain, partially from what Harry was surprised to find himself calling fear.

'Night.. creature,' she hissed through clenched teeth as something broke from the building like a discarded piece of dark cloth. Both beasts visibly tensed up, their back prickling, spines rising from sheaths hatefully.

'Night beast,' Harry found himself repeating, hugging close to Ferris' spined back and neck. The cloth seemed to be blown around for a while, before taking a horrifying form and beating it's way free, fluttering and flapping as if it were weightless and tossed carefree to the relatively gentle wind. It was horrifying. Even from here, Harry could sense dread in the pit of stomach, bile in his throat, and his eyes picked up sun glinting brusquely off sharp ebony teeth and claws with it's dying rays. The giant spear of bone and skin and darkness vanished over the crest of the valley's steep hillside, and slowly Ferris relaxed. Thron still fumed. Ferris clucked at him, and they sharply descended, alighting in the topiary garden. Harry and Ron quickly slipped off.

'Night Creature knows we go,' Ferris said bitterly. 'Maybe he no speak about. Maybe he do. We not knowing.' Ferris sighed, nudging Harry's shoulder. 'Maybe see parseltongue boy again?'

'I'll be at Hogwarts. In the north... maybe Scotland. Come up and visit me. It's next to-'

'We know,' said a rumbling voice close by. Ferris sighed as Thron nudged up to her, smiling through his words.

'You... but you can't-'

'Won't,' Thron grinned, chuckling eerily, eyes flashing blood red. 'We go east. See you again.' With that he bit Ferris' shoulder and sent her streaking across the ground before elegantly springing over the hedge and beating free into the sky. He examined the two boys, before snorting and following, though with a shorter run up. Soon, they faded into the cloud creases of the sunset, and Harry and Ron re-entered the gloomy manor to ponder this fear inspiring night creature... and more importantly the 'Bad man' who held Silver captive.

PLEASE REVIEW ;;