He slipped through the trees and delved into the forest. The branches brushed along his skin as he squeezed through the small proximity between two evergreens. Somehow inside the forest seemed warmer; although the snow still crunched beneath his feet.
He could barely see his own hand in front of him, and so pulled his wand out of his pocket and muttered 'Lumos'. Keeping his wand low so as not to attract the attention of any strange creatures, Harry trudged forwards. He continued walking for a few moments, occasionally shivering every time a small portion of snow fell off the ends of the tree branches and slid down the back of his neck. Soon he reached his first destination.
The trees had parted a little, creating a small, and empty, circular plain: in the middle of which stood a beautiful apple tree. It marked the death of Blaise Zabini. Harry knelt down and picked up a few thick branches that had been carefully placed under the tree, crafted an arrow that pointed left, stood up, and continued onwards in the direction of the arrow.
Some while later the conifer trees thinned out, making way for grand oaks to replace them. Seeing his target ahead Harry strode forward and crouched down underneath a large, lone aspen tree. Draco Malfoy had disappeared at the end of September, only a mere two weeks after Zabini. Most people had thought it was Voldemort's doing. Professor Sprout had magically enhanced the growth of all of the Dedication Trees, so the entirety stood at impressive heights. Harry created a right directional arrow with the branches under this tree, and then as before, he followed the arrow path and marched on.
Subconsciously, Harry counted as he past the twenty leafless oak trees before he reached the blackthorn. He hadn't quite understood why Dumbledore had wanted to plant a tree in memorial of Lucius Malfoy. When asked, the Headmaster had replied that Mr Malfoy had been on the board of Governors, and was always connected to the school. He picked up the branches from underneath it, made a simple arrow directing onwards following the same path, smiled, and walked forwards.
The wind began to pick up now. It was late at night on New Years Eve but Harry wore only a thin jumper and jeans. A sort of excitement was building up inside of him, making his blood boil with pleasure. He was nearly there.
A sloping elder tree invaded Harry's vision, he stooped beneath it, doing the same as before, but this time he fabricated a left pointing arrow. Lupin had been missing since Halloween.
Harry trudged on, until finally he came to a grand, rowan tree. It was much larger than any of the other Dedication Trees. Professor Sprout had said that the size of the tree should have some reflection on how much Dumbledore had done for the magical community. Although it towered over every other surrounding it, it smelled fresher. This had been planted less than a month ago. Lupin and Draco Malfoy were the only ones people could hope were still alive. Whole bodies had never been found of the others, but an odd arm or leg or occasionally a head made it clear the others were not coming back.
He followed his arrow which pointed right underneath the rowan and continued forward for quite a while until he reached the most magnificent tree in the entire forest; a yew tree. Harry whispered 'Nox', and slumped down beneath it and waited. Not long now.
Less than five minutes later, someone appeared out of the darkness. The boy was in the year above Harry at school but they had become good friends at the beginning of the year. It was unusual for wizards to be left-handed, but this boy was, and he was top of his class.
"Harry, hi," he breathed, a little worn out from the long walk.
"Ivan," Harry stood up, "you found it okay then?"
"Yes, you're arrows were great, thanks. So, er, what did you want to meet me at…" Ivan checked his watch, "ten minutes to midnight for?"
Harry passed him a bottle of Butterbeer. "I just wanted to wish you a happy new year."
Ivan took a sip, relishing the warmth that flooded his veins. "Oh, thanks, but you know you didn't have to drag me out into the middle of the Forbidden forest to -"
Ivan began to grasp his neck, choking. Harry strode over as if to help him, but instead poured more of the drink down his throat. Ivan's eyes were wide with horror, but only for a brief moment, because seconds later he was on the ground, unconscious. Harry muttered a spell, knelt down, and pulled Ivan's left arm from his body with ease.
He pulled a red handkerchief from his pocket and tied it round Ivan's mouth, then dragged him by his waist a few metres to a large circular stone in the ground. Harry pushed the stone aside, and holding Ivan tightly, slid down the shoot.
When Harry landed in the dirt under-cove, he heaved Ivan over to a set of ropes by one of the walls and tied him up.
As he turned to walk away a muffled sound made Harry stop and rotate on the spot then walk over to the noise.
"Hush, hush Draco, you wouldn't want to give away my little secret now would you?" Harry smiled, softly stroking his prisoner's hair. "Not long now. Once my creature is alive I shall set you free like I promised. I don't waste lives. And once you're out you can get that seen to," Harry gestured to the torn flesh by Malfoy's right shoulder.
Harry glanced at his other prisoner. "Without legs I suspect you won't be a danger to anyone when you transform anymore. Think of it as a present from me."
He turned from the prisoners and shuffled his way back up the shoot, pulling himself up onto the ground.
Harry walked back over to the tree and picked up the arm that lay beneath it. He carried it gently through a large bush behind the yew, lay it down, and began to sew. Aunt Petunia had forced Harry to learn how to sew when he was seven. He always knew it would come in use one day. Once the sewing was complete he stood up to admire his creation which lay before him beautifully upon a bed a yew branches.
It bore the face of the most beautiful boy at Hogwarts, the mind of the greatest, the chest of the cruellest, the arms of the best, and the legs of the fastest. Harry did not possess the strength to defeat Voldemort, but this creature would. His creation would save the world; and they would thank him for it.
Harry checked his watch. One minute. He began chanting.
Cŏr
Amimagus
Corpus
Procreatio supremorum
Nuncanimal e somno excitare canto
Vires antiqui irvoco
Artis magicae etherù
Animali dona unica date
Vis impiger
Vis perpetuus
Vita immortalis
Animalem animatis
A dull yellow eye of the creature opened; it breathed hard, and a convulsive motion agitated its limbs.