Hidden Wings - Part I

Harry's head- where's the rest?

Today the students were at Hogsmeade once more.

Harry had snuck off with his Invisibility cloak and the Marauder's map again, offering Mioha to join, but she had decided to remain at the castle.

Walking in the cold, while avoiding people who were about to bump into you, didn't sound like a fun way of spending her day.

Mioha spent her day with Firefeather, Twitchtail and Hammerhoof on the paddock near Hagrid's hut.

Another hippogriff joined them later on. The female hippogriff was a beautiful cream color with pale blue eyes.

She sniffed at Mioha curiously after the formalities had been settled.

"I'm Mioha", the Slytherin introduced herself.

Buckbeak's head perked up.

"Was your name not Jessamine?", he cawed curiously and tilted his head.

"It's the name the people who think I'm a human call me", Mioha explained.
"But my given name is Mioha."

"Why did you not tell us your real name?", Hammerhoof asked curiously, stepping closer to her.

"Well, it's kind of complicated", Mioha stammered and played with her sleeves.
"I have gone with Jessamine for five years, it was weird for me to tell others my real name. I couldn't even remember it until last summer.
And after I ran from Hogwarts for a few days, I felt more like myself than ever. That's when I decided to tell others, not everybody obviously, my real name. Because I-", she gulped and broke off.

The cream-colored hippogriff touched her hand gently with her beak and continued for her: "Because you were afraid of forgetting who you really are."

Mioha nodded shyly.

"I'm Fairfur", the hippogriff introduced herself kindly.

"Hello Fairfur", Mioha said softly and stroked the feathers under the hippogriffs head.

Fairfur closed her eyes and hummed contently.

A shadow above them suddenly appeared, gliding in a circle in the blue sky.

"Hey Sisi", Mioha smiled, "are you staying?"

"Maybe. For a while", Sisi called back and winked at Esma, before letting the wind take her higher. The osprey soared up until she got too small to see anymore.

"You have interesting friends", Twitchtail remarked, his tail twitching.

Esma ruffled her feathers on Mioha's shoulder, not sure whether that was an insult or a compliment.

Suddenly, Mioha saw a figure run up the way from Hogsmeade, stumbling a few times.

It was somebody with red hair, and Mioha had to squint in the sun to recognize which redhead it was.

It was Ron.

Why was he back so early?, Mioha wondered and watched how Ron sprinted inside the castle and disappeared.

Maybe something happened to Harry!, she thought fearfully and started running, waving goodbye to the hippogriffs.

Panting, she raced across the meadow and through the entrance, only to find Ron had gone.

Breathing intensely, Mioha pressed a hand against the castle wall and reached out with her magic for the conscious of Hogwarts.

She felt another presence in her mind, then a picture being projected for her to see.

Ron was in Professor Snape's office, along with Harry and Professor Lupin.

Mioha sent a 'thank you' to the castle and ripped her hand from the wall.
Skidding down the corridors and steps, she raced into the dungeons, Esma fluttering behind her.