Previously:
Draco, seeing Harry starting to stumble, takes a step towards him to see if he was okay before he sees the same thing Harry had seen and freezes, identical thoughts running through their heads.
'You/I just had to bring us here…'
Defeated, Severus sits back down into the chair. "Is there anything we can do?"
"Just wait my boy, the only thing anyone can do most of the time is just wait."
Chapter 16: The Forest
Klara traveled through the forest at a quick speed, her scales rustling on the dead leaves on the forest floor. Her tongue flickered out, tasting the air for her master before she changes direction, heading deeper into the forest. If she had been a cat, her hair would have stood on end from anxiety at the other taste upon the air.
Harry and Draco both looked on in awe at the magnificent creature standing in the small clearing, not fifteen yards from them. Its golden fur ruffling from an unseen breeze, its amber eyes focused on the two young wizards in front of it.
Roaring out a challenge, the animal rears up on its hind legs, spreading its once-hidden wings wide as he paws at the air in front of him, an obvious challenge. But because the gryphon, because that's what it was, reared back, the chain connected to a tree was seen wrapped around its back, left leg, right above the pay.
Once the gryphon realized that the two wizards weren't coming closer, it settled back to the ground but shuffled around, nervous at their proximity. Harry looked at the gryphon, his eyes sparkling as he saw the mascot of his house for the first time. Draco looked between the gryphon with awe, and Harry with an unknown emotion.
"Draco... It's a gryphon! But, why is it here? And, what's that chain around its leg?" Harry whispered softly, not taking his eyes from the magical creature.
"I can see what it is for myself, Harry. As to why it's here, or what that chain is for, I don't really know. It must be a trap of some sort. But why it would be he- HARRY! No!" Draco had started saying what he knew when he saw Harry start to walk towards the gryphon, his hands held out, palms down in a universal gesture of peace. Draco went to pull Harry back, but Harry easily dodged his hands as he took a few more hesitance steps towards the gryphon.
'Don't worry; I don't want to hurt you. I just want to help you.' Harry kept thinking subconsciously, and at the same time, unknowingly sending out his thoughts. The gryphon, feeling the intentions behind his thoughts relaxed slightly, his tail swishing against the ground as his front paw paws at the dirt softly from nerves.
As Harry took a few more steps closer, he held out his hand towards the gryphon. The curious creature that it was took a few steps closer to Harry, his head reaching out as her sniffs at the hand before nuzzling its beak softly against the hand, deeming it a worth and pure enough smell to come closer.
Draco watched on with awe and not a small amount of fear. He bites his lip, taking out his wand, ready to curse the animal at the first sign he was going to hurt his Harry. Wait… His?
As Draco was lost in his thoughts, Harry had walked until he was right up next to the animal, close enough so he could see the wings, camouflaged against it's back and the mixture of brown and golden yellow furs covering it.
Reaching out tentatively, Harry's fingers brush through the fur in between the neck and the shoulder, his eyes rising up to look into that of the gryphon's, noticing they weren't really amber, but the same color as his fur, brown mixed with golden flecks. After making sure the gryphon wasn't going to attack, Harry kneeled down next to the chain, his eyes not seeing anything other than a normal, seemingly muggle chain.
Following his instinct, Harry reached a hand over the chain, running his fingers over the metal, somehow sensing what needed to be done. Not knowing how he did it, or why, Harry twisted his fingers around the metal and almost instantly he felt it heat up in his hand before one of the links shattered. Almost instantly the gryphon reared back and roared, his wings spreading wide as he leapt into the air. With a few, mighty beats of his wings, he was lifted up and above the tops of the trees, leaving Harry on the ground, having fallen back in surprise with Draco running towards him.
"Harry? Are you okay?" Draco knelt down next to Harry, looking over him for any sort of injury before looking into his emerald eyes.
"Draco… What would you say if I just told you that the gryphon just told me 'thank you'?" Harry whispered quietly, looking up into the stormy grey eyes he had come to know so well.
Back in the castle, as Harry and Draco came face to face with the gryphon, Albus and Severus were getting more and more worried. After several minutes of Severus pacing back and forth in the Headmasters office, and Albus sitting behind the desk quietly, Severus finally snapped.
"That's it. If you want to stay in this office and do nothing, so be it. I am going to go look for my son and Draco. Whether I find them or not, at least I'll know I was trying something. Whether or not you'll wish to help is up to you Albus." With the final word, Severus turned his back, his black cloak spreading around him like shadows as she stalked out of the doors.
Albus sat for a few seconds thinking over the words that were spoken to him before his eyes became resolute. Standing up gracefully, he swished his wand and a parchment fell on the top of his desk, letting anyone know where they were if someone were to come into his office.
Albus met up with Severus on the outskirts of the forest, both their wands positioned above their palms in the process of 'Point Me' spells. Both pointed into the forest, unknowingly to the two men, but straight at the path that the two young wizards had taken several hours ago.
Severus nodded once towards Albus before heading off into the trees, seemingly swallowing the pale man in his black robes. Albus looked back at the sky, noticing that the sun would be down in a few hours. Hopefully they would get in, and get out with the two rogue wizards before nightfall.
The forest has many secrets hidden within its dark depths that come out only after nightfall.
AN: … hides in her steel box don't strangle me... Don't hurt me... no matter how much I deserve it! I have... well... I don't have any excuse why I haven't updates in so long… I HAVE been busy... but not enough as to why I haven't updated in almost a year. I got a recent review, today actually in my email, and it pointed out that little fact. To say I was shocked was an understatement.
I'm just, so VERY VERY sorry everyone. Just know that, I'm not going to give up on this story, I won't do that... it just might be a while before you get updates… but they will come. And... I know this is a little shorter than most... but... I wanted to get something out so you weren't stranded on that cliff still. :P
The reason I finally got this out is because mainly of that last review I got, but also because all of you wonderful people who still have me on their favorite list and/or author alerts. I'm not ashamed to admit it... but I NEED people to motivate me to write... My email is and my AIM is Usaka Klara. I know... different then what I told you earlier in the story, but oh well.
I'll ask again... PLEASE pester me to get chapters out, and I'll work on them, 100 guaranteed... the more pestering, the faster I'll work :P
Oh... and Please R&R as always (hopefully it wont take me nearly as long to update next!)