"Theodore!" Harry said, hugging the boy who stumbled through the fireplace. He missed the unamused look his father sent them both as they hugged. Thorik followed behind, shaking hands with Marvolo as they moved off to the side.

"Hadrian. How are you?" Theo said, much calmer than his friend. Harry shrugged.

"I've been good! Dad started teaching me wand stuff!"

"Wand stuff?" Theodore raised an eyebrow. "Like magic?"

"No, I wish; he said that I couldn't do magic until I got a wand of my own and went to school." Harry glanced at his dad, making sure the man wasn't listening. He leaned in closer to his friend, whispering the next words. "Later."

Theo nodded, and the pair turned to watch as the fireplace flared its brilliant green, a woman and a young girl stepping through together. Harry felt his eyes widen.

The woman was tall and imposing, with short black hair that was cut at a sharp angle, the sides of it coming to a sharp point. Her dark black eyes seemed to look over every one of them, even Father as if she were inspecting them, breaking them down into mere atoms and putting them back together again.

The girl behind her had a similar stare but nowhere near as powerful as the other woman's gaze. She stared at Harry and Theodore, her eyes unblinking and her brown hair tousled and messy from her trip through the floo. She had tan, almost olive skin, unlike the woman she stood behind.

"Jewelle," Father said, taking the woman's hand and placing a kiss on the back of her knuckles. Thorik followed.

"Marvolo, Thorik," she greeted, her accent not thick but still obvious. She didn't sound like anything Harry had ever heard. "It is wonderful to see you. I brought my Pansy."

"So very glad you brought her. My Hadrian needs more friends with our similar ideology."

"As does my Theodore," Thorik agreed, smiling. The woman sniffed.

"I suppose so. Is this him?" Her gaze turned to Harry. The boy swallowed, and he forced himself to hold her stare. He watched as her eyes traced each sharp line of his scar, then his eyes, his nose, his lips, then back to his scar. Her hand moved out, quick as a snake, gripping Harry's chin between two pale fingers. Harry gasped, squeezing his eyes shut.

"Magnifique…" The woman stated, turning his head to look closer at his scar. How was something so jarring considered…whatever it is, she said. Harry bit his lip to hold back a whimper as the woman touched it.

Marvolo shot a hand out, grabbing her hand.

"Apologies, he is not fond of being touched on his face," Marvolo's tone was silky, but his words were sharp. A warning. The woman released his face, and Harry felt like he could breathe. He stepped back instantly, his hands gripping the bottom of his shirt.

"Ah," Jewelle said, stepping back as well. "Shall we move to the drawing room instead, then?"

"We shall," Harry's father nodded. "Hadrian, be a good host for Miss Parkinson."

The three adults quickly turned and left, leaving the three kids standing awkwardly in the room. They glanced at each other, Theodore's gaze neutral, the girls judgey, and Harry's embarrassed.

"So." The girl began hands on her hips. "You're Hadrian."

"Uh, yeah. You are?"

"I'm Pansy Parkinson." She said, looking at them like she expected them to know who she was. Harry and Theodore just glanced at each other, shrugging.

"I'm Theodore Nott."

"Hmph." She pouts, walking away. Harry and Theo follow her, confused.

"Where are you going?" Theo asks, seemingly annoyed.

"To your playroom, obviously."

"I don't have a playroom," Harry explained. "Me and Theo just play in my bedroom."

"It's not playing anymore; it's hanging out. We're ten."

Was he ten?

"Right, uh, we hang out in my bedroom."

"So, no toys? No makeup?"

"Er…." Harry looked at Theodore, unsure how to respond.

"No."

"Ugh. Boys are dumb!" She says with a stomp, continuing forward. Harry and Theodore raced after her.

"We really shouldn't be over here; we'll get in trouble," Harry remarked, catching up to her quick strides. She was a bit taller than Harry and Theodore, her legs longer.

"So? It's not like anyone is watching us." She shot back.

"Do you even know where you're going?" Theodore asked instead. Pansy paused... and then kept going.

"Nope!"

"So we really shouldn't-"

"I don't care." She articulated. "Let's explore!"

"Is this what I'm like to you?" Harry whispered to his blonde friend.

"Yes. But you at least listen, brat."

"You're the brat!"

"I'm obviously older because I'm taller."

"Nuh-uh." Harry concluded.

"Hey, Harry, when is-"

"AH! WHAT IS THAT?!"

Harry and Theo quickly caught up to the girl who was staring out of one of the large, uncovered glass windows. Her face was squished up against it, making her button nose push back on her face.

Harry and Theodore looked as well, curious as to what she was talking about.

Standing just ten feet away was a giant bird, its wings white and shimmery as a pearl. Its large head was like that of a hippogriff, its eyes sharp blue and piercing. Its body was grey and almost iridescent, its tail feathers large and mighty against the grass.

Pandy moves to the nearby door and opens it slowly.

"Here birdie birdie birdie…" she called, clapping her hands. The bird looked at her, flapping its imposing wings once and then twice.

"Get back inside, you idiot," Theodore hissed, grabbing at her blouse, but he had just missed it. The girl continued outside. Harry didn't glance back as he followed, enthralled.

He'd never seen a creature like this.

As they moved ever so closer, Harry noticed that it wasn't just one set of wings but three, although the back two pairs were much smaller than the first. They shimmered with the same white light, fading to a sparkly ash as the feathers got closer to the body. They were quite beautiful.

"I can't believe we're doing this," Theodore's voice made Harry jump slightly. "We better not die."

"We're not going to die, you baby," Pansy said with an eye roll. The creature flapped its wings again, shooting into the air. It cried out at them, spinning into the sun, making them avert their eyes as they tried to follow it.

"We're gonna die!" She shrieked, a bolt of lightning landing where the bird once stood. A round of thunder followed. They fell back slightly, landing on the cold ground. They gawked up at the sky, but the creature was gone, leaving nothing but charred dirt and grass in its wake. Pansy cleared her throat.

"Right, anyway. Moving on." The girl began to walk off outside, staying in the sunshine. Despite the light, the breeze was still cold, his long-sleeved shirt doing little to lock out the chilly air. Theo followed the rowdy girl, but Harry stayed back, inching closer to the ground where the strange bird had been.

As he stepped closer, he could feel the sharp tingles of electricity race up his leg, shocking his knees and fingertips gently. He moved closer, inspecting the charred ground, the scent filling his nose. It was a harsh, acidic smell, with hints of smoke and earth mixed in with the ash left upon the ground. It warned his toes through his thick shoes, making him shiver in delight. The smell reminded him of his dream from weeks ago.

He'd had other strange dreams since then, but none as cruel or turbulent as that one. He was glad, although he had learned something from the whole ordeal: only talk to Arven if he is sure it is empty.

Harry bent down, picking up the small blue-grey feather embedded in the sooty dirt, picking it up. It shocked him, making his body prickle and his fingers sting. It was warm to the touch, and Harry slipped it into his pockets, hoping to look at it later.

Hearing Pansy and Theodore calling him, he jogged through the grass, making his way over to his friends and joining them as they walked around, kicking rocks. Harry smiled happily as Pansy and Theodore bickered, the pair total opposites.

It was odd. When Harry had met the girl mere hours ago, he was convinced he wouldn't like her, but she was very similar to him. Harry found he enjoyed that just as much as he enjoyed Theodore being different from him.

"You just don't believe me,"

"Because it's crazy, there's no way that bird was a hippogriff."

"Uh, yes, it was."

"Uh, no, it wasn't."

Harry laughed, joining them. They walked through the grass, laughing and talking and having fun. Harry learned that Jewelle was a very significant designer in France, and was Pansy's mom. When Theodore asked about her dad, the tall girl just pushed him into the mod, crossing her arms in distaste. Theodore glared back at her, pulling them down. The pair rolled down the small slope, Harry quickly running after them, laughing with much-needed joy.

As they landed on the ground, Harry gasped. The field was a sea of colour, a vast expanse of flowers in every shade of the rainbow. They sparkled and shimmered and looked absolutely stunning against the soft green grass. Pansy squealed, rolling in them. Theo sneezed, rubbing his nose. The air was thick with the sweet, heady fragrance of the blooms, and the gentle hum of buzzing bees and insects followed them around as they moved around. The breeze was chilly but gentle, making the flowers sway like little dancers, each one dancing to its own tune.

"This is so pretty!" Pansy said, plucking one of the flowers. This one was in a beautiful pink. "I didn't know you had such pretty things! You should have told me!"

"I've never been this far out, I guess…I didn't know I had this either!"

"ACHOO!"

"Ew! You just sneezed on me!"

"Maybe if you moved your leg, Pansy!"

"I'm comfortable!"

Harry laughed and laughed. Suddenly, Pansy gasped. Harry ignored it, still staring down at a pretty blue flower, its edges curling downward and revealing its purple centre. Theodore hit his shoulder, making the green-eyed boy scowl.

"What?!"

"Look up!"

Harry groaned and rolled over, glancing up at the sky. Perhaps the strange bird was back? Harry gasped as well, his eyes going wide with childlike wonder.

It was snowing.

They stuck out their tongues, trying to catch the fluttering flakes as they fell.

"Watch this!" Harry exclaimed, sticking out his tongue as far as he could, trying to catch a big, fat snowflake.

Theo and Pansy giggled at the sight of his stretched tongue. "You look silly," Pansy teased.

"Like you'd look any better," Theodore scoffed. Pansy got up, hopping around the flowers with her tongue outstretched. Harry joined her, grabbing her hands as they spun, catching them. They tasted nothing like the wicked rain in his nightmare. They tasted like nothing at all, just soft bits of cold. The two huddled together, still jumping and reaching. Theodore sneezes again.

"Guys, can we please go inside?" He says with a sniffle. "I don't like it anymore."

"Aww man, you big baby."

"Sure, Theo!" Harry grinned. The three went inside, Still laughing and giggling as snow sprinkled on their cold faces. With the help of Bleak, they settled into the living room floor, a deck of wizard cards ready to play, piles of warm blankets wrapped around them. The fire crackled gently in the hearth, filling their bones and hearts with a soft heat. Theo sniffled, but he didn't sneeze again.

"Guys!" Pansy said, rushing over with a small bag in her hand. "You'll never guess what I just heard!"

"What is it, Pansy?" Harry asked, shuffling closer to Theodore as she sat down.

"So I was walking to my mom's bag to get this bag, right? And the door was open! So, I listened, and-"

"That's inappropriate," Theo said with a sniff.

"Ugh, don't care. Anyway, they mentioned something about a party! A really big party!"

"Oh, that's cool," Harry said. "What's a party?"

"It's like a group of people, and you dance and eat food and stuff. Like a birthday party." Theodore explains. "Speaking of-"

"Harry! Let me do your makeup!"

"Uh, sure?"

Harry didn't know what that was or what to expect. Pansy painted his face with odd objects, smearing stuff on his eyes. Theo giggled beside him. Harry felt like a fool.

"So beautiful, Mr Riddle!" Pansy teased.

"Pansy, get oooof," He groaned. "That's enough, it feels weird!"

"Okay, okay, just put this lipstick on! Purse those lips." Harry didn't know what that meant either. Once Pansy had smeared the 'lipstick' on his lips, she pulled back, grinning. "All done!"

Harry felt the girl pull him off the floor and drag him to a nearby mirror, which Harry had always ignored. He stood still in disgust as his eyes fell upon his face. Glitter was all over his eyes, his cheeks, and his nose. Thick black lines were on his eyes, and his lips were a gaudy pink. The worst part, though?

Each line of his horrific scar had been painted a different color.

"What do you think, Harry?" Pansy said, proud of her work. Harry shook his head, unable to form words, hot tears in his eyes. Theodore stumbled over in a rush. "Harry?"

The boy turned and ran.