Island
The familiar touch of Hedwig’s talons on his clothing and skin surprised Harry, sending a jolt of relief through his body. Blinking in disbelief, he rubbed his eyes, turning to behold the reassuring sight of Hedwig’s snowy wings, their broad expanse providing balance for her lithe frame. Her sharp, intelligent gaze met his, and Harry felt a sense of comfort wash over him.
“Hedwig!” he croaked, his voice hoarse with emotion. Hedwig hooted in response, her amber eyes warm with understanding as she nestled against Harry’s head. As her beak began to preen his hair, the familiar motion soothed his frayed nerves, and he gave a small smile. ‘You always find me, don’t you? I thought you wouldn’t be back until morning, after the last delivery. Did you feel my emotions through the bond? I am not sure what is happening."
"I thought these creatures were hostile, that they were planning to kidnap me and take me to Voldemort," Harry said, his voice wavering with confusion as he glanced around at the dark-winged creatures surrounding him. "But my magic seems friendly towards them, and now you don’t seem to mind their presence. “My magic has always been able to detect dangerous situations,” he continued, “except for that one time with Riddle’s diary. There must have been some sort of powerful masking enchantment at work at that time, something capable of evading even Hogwarts’ powerful wards.” His mind raced, struggling to make sense of the strange turn of events.
As Harry looked around, he realized with a start that they had already reached the English Channel, the herd moving southward at a steady pace. Suddenly, the herd began to slow down and descend towards the sea, though Harry couldn’t see any land in sight. A cold breeze swept over him, sending shivers up his spine. It was then that he noticed, with a sense of wonder and fear, that the herd was flying towards a mysterious island that seemed to materialize out of thin air.
The island was a tapestry of rugged beauty, with dense forests of towering trees and jagged cliffs guarding its rocky shores. From his aerial vantage point, Harry estimated that the island spanned at least 7 miles, an expansive landmass stretching across the sea. As they crossed the shoreline, Harry felt a familiar sensation, like the one he experienced when crossing the barrier between the Muggle and magical worlds at King’s Cross Station. The island was teeming with life. The songs of birds filled the air, interspersed with unfamiliar calls, creating a symphony of nature. Harry could feel the pulse of magic and nature reverberating through the island, as if every fiber of the forest and earth resonated with power.
The feeling of resonance with nature and magic reminded Harry of his forays into the Forbidden Forest, where nature ran wild and magic thrived. It was a refreshing sensation, even in these unfamiliar surroundings. As the herd moved towards the heart of the island, Harry spotted a manor house, seemingly abandoned and overgrown with creeping vines. The architecture was distinctly gothic, a style he’d come to associate with wizarding buildings.
The creatures touched down before the front gate, crafted from a black, metallic material. They began to make soft, chirping sounds as they encircled Harry in a half-circle formation. The one that had carried him landed gently, tucking its wings behind it, making it easier for Harry to dismount. He gripped the creature’s mane tightly, uncertainty clouding his thoughts. Was it safe to descend from the creature's back? What would happen next? The creatures seemed to be waiting for him to do something, he might have a clue what it might be, but he was not sure of his safety. Hedwig, perched on his shoulders, made soft chirps that sounded like encouragement.
"I don't know, Hedwig," Harry muttered, glancing at his faithful owl for reassurance. His heart was racing, and his mind was racing even faster. "This feels like one of those horror movies where people wander into haunted houses and never return. We could be in over our heads."
Hedwig's gaze met his, and Harry felt a flicker of annoyance at her stoic silence. He knew what she was implying—that he had a long history of finding himself in life-threatening situations. "I am damn sure we are out of England and more likely inside French territory, meaning no one in England can come to my aid if something happens, and I have only my wand; of course I don't want to go exploring unknown manor houses that unknown creatures kidnap me to." He defended hotly back.
Just then his magic that had been acting weird starts to act even more weird. He was trying to not notice the change for the time being, but the insistent need to do something has been poking his thoughts since he saw the manor in the distance on the sky. Not able to think of anything else that might explain all these weird happenings of the day, he staggered down the creature carefully and took a couple of steps away from it in caution. He turned towards the manor that was ominous looking. The building was made of grey stones and looked from outside at least two stories high; there was also a tower along the side that reached as high as three stories. The roof was made with what seemed to be white slate but lost its color due to natural elements.
Seeing no way out of it, he took his wand out and held it tightly while stepping near the gate. He could feel the eyes of the creature's heavy on his back. He shivered as he hovered a hand above the gate handle. The handle had a symbol etched into it. A triangle enclosing a circle and a line dissecting it from top to bottom in perfect symmetry. It doesn't resemble any runes he knew from looking at Hermione's books. He took a fortifying breath and reached out to the handle, hoping it was not something devised by Voldemort to kill him again.
The moment he touched the handle, the world went dark.