Hidden Wings - Part I

Fire

The summer holidays passed.
Mioha did not try to get to the Sacred Grounds of Nanrek again, for she knew it was not time yet.

She did improve in her magic skills, lasting longer in duels with her Professors and on rare occasions beating Professor Flitwick during her blindfolded sessions.

Esma disappeared more often, which Mioha found weird, but she didn't question it since her friend didn't need to stick with her constantly.

Dear Harry,
I wish you a happy birthday. I hope you will enjoy your day (and the cake) and that your cousin Dudley won't find the cake.
It's very good.
Sadly, I can't come to the World Cup, but I hope you and Ron and Hermione will have a great time. Say hi to Fred and George for me please.
I'm very excited to see you soon.

Your Jess

Mioha had gotten Harry a little figurine in the form of a stag, which would prance around like a real one. It was kind of like her little hippogriff Blue Moon.
The stag, however, would light up in a white, bright light if you said a certain code word.
Mioha hoped he liked it.

Along with his present, she sent some owl treats for Hedwig, since the poor owl was stuck in her cage most of the time.

„Try to not hear anything, yet everything at the same time", Firenze's deep voice rumbled through the air.

She was in a small glade with Firenze, sitting on the ground with her legs crossed and the palms of her hands pressed flatly against the dirt.
Bane had forbidden him to lead her to Nanrek, but the centaur hadn't seen that as a prohibition to help Mioha.
Firenze was trying to help her establish a connection with the forest, since that was the centaurs' way of finding inner peace.
And Mioha had to admit, Firenze was a great teacher. His patience never seemed to run out.

Mioha breathed in deeply with her eyes closed, identifying all the different scents around her.

Her nose picked up the smell of grass, oak tree, fir and spruce, and very strongly, centaur.

She could feel the energy of the plants vibrating beneath her hands.

She could hear every little chirp and the slightest rustle around her, the tiniest bug crawling on a leaf making enough noise for her to know where it was.

And although she had no idea why, what Firenze was teaching her loosened the block inside her.

It did not disappear completely, but somehow after Mioha had spent a few hours meditating with the forest, she felt a strange calmness inside her that helped her get more access to her magical core.
As if finding her way back to nature calmed her Silverwing side down, despite being stuck in her human form.
And her Professors noticed this.
Whereas up until now only her reflexes and her stamina had improved, now her magic would often hit her teachers with such a force that their shields shattered.