Disclaimer: The same as the previous chapters. Moonvale, thank you for helping me out with the mistakes and prepping this chapter up for the readers to feast on. :D

Chapter 15

The trip to the Owlery had brought back old memories. Harry Potter blew into the air and shuddered, "Definitely not the day to think of old times." He had done quite a lot of exceptional things today. He chuckled into the night air, "Those billowing cloaks no longer look like bat wings and Severus Snape had been civil. Heck! That man has a deadpan humor." He had chuckled once again, shrugging his shoulders. Will I ever be able to solve this enigma called Snape? Well, solving problems were Hermione's…

He pushed the door to the Owlery with more force than he intended. Walking into the room, he noticed a small desk and stool beside it. They seemed to be under some permanent charm. In spite of being there among the droppings and feathers of owls, the furniture was clean and oddly welcoming. He walked up to it and found a stack of parchment and a few quills with a huge inkpot. A smile broke on his face, now that was nice, truly thoughtful.

He sat down and ran his fingers through the already tousled hair out of habit. Then grabbed a quill, dipped it in the inkpot and scribbled a letter to his definitely worrying wife.

As he watched a barn owl fly away into the night, the sight of Hagrid's Hut welcomed him. But today, the chimney was not billowing thick whiffs of smoke. There was movement a few meters away from the hut. He now noticed that an area had been cleared and sectioned with organized barriers. And in one of those barricaded enclosures, someone was trying to do something with a neighing…thestral?

He dashed out of the door, leapt over the landings till he found his way to the moving staircases. Thankfully the sentient castle felt his urgency and in no time he was out of the castle, panting and running across the grounds. He came to a screeching halt when he saw Luna Lovegood lazily making her way towards Hagrid's Hut.

"Hey, Luny, hurry, someone's trying to grab a thestral and Hagrid's not here…"

Luna grabbed at his sleeves and in a dreamy voice, replied, "Oh! That would be Headmaster Snape…Neville says he tends to the magical creatures when Hagrid's away."

"WHAT?"

"Oh! He also said that last week a baby thestral was born. I don't know where Neville is but he said he actually helps Hagrid and Snape in the evenings, to feed the creatures. Isn't that a lovely arrangement?"

"Ah! Well…"

"I was looking for you for some time. Healer Norman has left. But before that, she did have a lengthy discussion with Madam Pomfrey. They were trying to make secondary arrangements for Hermione if St. Mungo's privacy wards get breached."

"I suppose it is. Hogwarts is definitely a safer option than the magical hospital," Harry nodded, still confused.

"It was quite enlightening to have tea and biscuits at Professor Flitwick's office. I mean, I did go in there as a student. But this time, I was there and I am no longer a student. Professor Lupin dropped in to describe those tendrils of smoke coming out of Hermione," stealing a glance at Harry, she saw how pained he looked, "I have all the facts and I have a feeling things will get better."

"Well, that is truly reassuring…thank you Luny."

"I really like that, Luny. While others used to call me barmy, you made it sound like a friend. That was nice. Neville says you are silly, you feel protective about Hermione, about him and about everybody else. You know that is sweet?"

They had, by this time, nearly reached Hagrid's Hut.

"Harry, how are you?"

Surprised, The-Boy-Who-Lived-Twice simply replied, "Fine…trying to be fine, I guess."

Luna gave him a dreamy look.

"You have…well, not only the mothers glow when they are expecting, fathers glow too. Things will just be fine, don't exhaust yourself worrying."

Harry blushed deep red and quite definitely was at a loss for words. At the same time, he was thankful to the muggle deities and to Merlin, they had reached the thestral enclosures. Fang greeted Harry by sniffing and rubbing his snout at the old acquaintance. Then the boarhound started heading back to the enclosure, making sure both the former students were following him. Peering inside, they were truly taken aback to see their former professor without his billowing robes. They were more surprised by his persistence in trying to make a baby thestral get up. Unfortunately, the little one was whining and adamant not to move an inch from a spread of dried grass.

"Mind the wards and stay behind the barriers if you do not wish to get singed."

The Headmaster had heard the two former students approach the enclosure. In an irritated voice he spoke again, still kneeling beside the baby with his brows furrowed. "This is a week old baby. Its mother died last night. If we are not able to feed it somehow, it will die too."

They spotted Neville coming over from the path that led to the greenhouses. Greeting both of them, he went inside the enclosure. Harry noticed, he too looked a little worried, "Hasn't budged an inch? This is getting difficult."

"Don't say the obvious Longbottom, did you get the supplement?"

Nodding to the Headmaster, he handed over the large can with a modified nipple at its end.

Luna informed Harry that it contained a specialized formula developed by Newt Salamander's grandson, the famous zoologist for magical creatures, Rolf Scamander.

While Severus made the effort to coax the baby to open its mouth, Neville kept relaying, "They are all camping in the library. It is rather odd to see Seamus and Blaise bent over a tome. Draco might or might not have found something, but he seems to have gotten onto something at least. Madam Pince has also joined the "Hunt for Answers", that is what Seamus is calling it. Oh! He was truly feeling sorry for Ron and you, Harry, back in those days, with Hermione forcing you to follow highlighted schedules before exams…"

When Snape gave him a quizzical look, Harry mused, "Yeah! She was bossy, running after us with her color-coded schedules but she always meant well…"

"It explains, Mr. Potter, your barely acceptable marks. Miss Insufferable Know-It-All is to be thanked for all that. Saving both of your dunderheaded necks from failing and from dying."

The colt was growing annoyed as it suddenly threw its legs haphazardly and knocked both Snape and Neville on their backs.

When the three wizards stood clueless, it was left to Luna to mention the obvious and simplest facts of life.

"It is sad and missing its mother, alone and grieving. The other thestrals are not bothered about it. It is losing the fight. It will give up. Sir, is there a way in which you can…"

Severus was confused and irritated. He did come across these magical creatures in the Forbidden Forest, for he needed them to willingly give him potion ingredients. But tending to the requirements of animals and creatures like that, selflessly, was something still new to him. He had agreed to help Hagrid because the half-giant was an integral part of the life at the castle. Through this gesture he wanted to convey his willingness to reconcile with the gamekeeper on a common ground.

Out of ideas and thoroughly finding himself at his wit's end, he had lashed out, "Don't expect me to mother a baby thestral!"

Neville, on the other hand, understood what Luna was trying to say. He politely suggested, "Sir, Luna might be correct. Why don't I try for a change?"

Swiftly standing, Snape gestured to the Herbology Apprentice, "Be my guest."

Then striding out of the enclosure, he joined the other two bystanders. Fang walked by his side, nudged at his hands and propped himself right at his feet.

In the enclosure, they saw Neville slowly approaching the grieving colt. He started by stroking its coat. When the little one just lay quiet, breathing faintly, Neville grinned back at them. Then suddenly he started singing a silly lullaby.

Luna gushed and informed, "Oh, he does sing, but to himself and at times to those plants and herbs in the greenhouse. He had read somewhere; music works wonders for plants."

They saw Neville bend over the baby, and in a span of seconds, hug it carefully. It all happened gradually. When Harry was about to laugh at Neville's childish antics and Snape was about to berate the apprentice about how ridiculous he was looking, Luna had exclaimed, "Look, the colt is nudging him!"

It was indeed the first promising response from the week-old baby. It nudged Neville with its snout and then literally kept its head in his lap and continued crying.

Luna gestured to her fiancé to try again, pointing at the feeding can.

Cautiously, Neville brought the can near and held it below the baby's snout. To everyone's relief, it immediately latched onto it.

Luna dreamily mused, "All it needed was someone to hold it close, give it a long hug and say, I am here for you".

Harry laughed like a young boy when the colt greedily lunged for the rest of the milk, nearly tackling the former Gryffindor. But Severus had an epiphany. He swiftly turned to the two of them barking orders, "Miss Lovegood, how comfortable are you with side-along apparition?"

She beamed at him and replied, "Oh, extremely comfortable."

Turning to a baffled Harry, he ordered him, "Get Flitwick and Lupin!" Then he sent a Patronus to Minerva saying, "Send Draco to St Mungo's and do stay at Hogwarts."

Snape whacked Harry on the back of his head, like old times, when the other was still standing rooted to the spot, looking at the galloping doe. Harry took off without looking back.

He turned to instruct Neville, but the latter was faster and confirmed, "I will stay and help this colt and then help the others in the library."

"And you get no points for that". The Headmaster deadpanned.

Snape was vibrating with energy. Giving the man a half-smile, he left the Gryffindor and literally dragged the former Ravenclaw witch with him. When they reached the apparition point, they missed Hagrid on his motorcycle by a fraction of second.

The half-giant couldn't quite believe his eyes, "Blimey, was that Snape 'n Miss Luna?"

I don't know much about Thestrals, and I have rudimentary knowledge about horses. I played along with that concept. I hope I did a satisfactory job. What are your thoughts?