Hidden Wings - Part I

The Quidditch World Cup

Esma squeaked frantically and pulled at Mioha's hair with her beak, trying to rouse the Slytherin from her sleep.

„Mioha!", she screeched and landed on the teenager's face, digging into the skin with her talons.
„Wake up!"

„Ow!", Mioha cried and shot up into a sitting position, Esma fluttering off her face.

„What is it, Esma?", Mioha asked irritatedly, trying not to yell at the blackbird. She felt her face burn where Esma had scratched her.
„It's in the middle of the night."

„Zuki just told me the news", Esma explained hurriedly, hopping around because of her nervousness.

„Who's Zuki?", Mioha asked, her brain still slower than usual.

„She's the long-eared owl", Esma replied and went on, „she told me that on her hunt earlier, she had heard another barn owl telling another owl, that there were Death Eaters at the Quidditch Cup a few hours ago!"

Mioha stared at her.
„What?", she asked baffled.
„Death Eaters?"

„Yes!", Esma exclaimed in an annoyed tone, „and they did imperi-something to some muggles, and now somebody shot the Dark Mark into the sky!"

Mioha just sat there, trying to digest what Esma had told her.

„HELLO?", Esma squeaked and fluttered up to get Mioha's attention.
„Don't you want to tell the headmaster?"

Mioha startled at her words.
„Right!", she said worriedly and quickly hopped out of her bed. Offering Esma a spot on her shoulder, she dashed out of her room, through the common room and into the dungeons.
Spreading her wings instinctively, she soared to the right and flew hastily through the dungeons, skillfully swooshing around the corners and up the staircases.

In a matter of seconds Mioha had arrived in front of the gargoyle, which stood motionless before the entrance to the staircase it blocked.

She didn't know the password.

That thought finally made it into the rational part of her brain as she landed before the stone figure, clueless about what to do next.

„Let us in!", Esma peeped frenziedly and ruffled her feathers.

The gargoyle looked at them emotionlessly, his eyes completely blank.
„Password?", he asked blandly, not seeming to notice the blackbird that landed on its head.

„Move!", Esma demanded and pecked on the gargoyle's head, her beak clicking loudly against the stone.

„Esma, wait", Mioha tried to calm her down, all though she herself was sweating from nervousness.

She turned to the gargoyle.
„Please, Mr. Gargoyle, we need to see Professor Dumbledore immediately."

The gargoyle sniffed.
„He is in bed at the moment. Come back tomorrow."

Esma seemed to be about an eyelash away from pecking a permanent hole into the gargoyle's head, when a voice suddenly said: „Ms. Mioha, how may I help you?"
Mioha looked up and saw Professor Dumbledore came down the steps, the gargoyle stepping aside with a bugged expression.

„Headmaster!", Esma chirped and flew up to him, fluttering in front of his face.
„Death Eaters have attacked the Quidditch World cup and some poor muggles were hurt! We need to help!"
Professor Dumbledore looked at Mioha with a slight amused expression on his face.
„I deeply apologize, Ms. Esma, but I do not understand a word you are saying."

That was the moment Mioha noticed him wearing a long, pale blue might gown and a matching night cap.

„Esma told me that she was informed by another owl, that Death Eaters attacked the Quidditch World Cup", Mioha told him seriously, „she said some muggles were imperiused and that somebody cast the Dark Mark into the sky."