Patrolling Ⅸ

Frowning, Nadira abruptly turns back and hurries to the protector. Carefully making her way through the trees, she finds the protector coming to a halt in a clearing. Slithering closer, Nadira's eyes gleam as she spots a pair of blank, white, shining eyes that draw nearer through the gloom to reveal a dragonish face, neck, and then a skeletal body of a great, black, winged horse with leathery bat-like wings.

"Thestrals," Nadira mutters to herself as she watches the protector approach the harbingers of death for wizarding society. Not wishing to frighten the Thestral, Nadira turns herself invisible and hides her presence from all as she observes from a large, sturdy branch.

A Thestral whickers softly and rubs its head into Rowan's hand. A soft smile flits across Rowan's face as she gently strokes the Thestral. "Tenebrus," she said, "that is your name is it not? Mm, Hagrid gave you a good, solid name." And how she knew, well, she just knew and had no way of explaining it. (That and well, Hagrid had told the brats the Thestral's name in Potter's timeline as it was the first Thestral foal born to the herd within the Forbidden Forest.)

Reaching into her pouch at her side, Rowan removes a packet of dried jerky, she kept for snacks and tosses out pieces of the jerky to the Thestral, who nimbly catches them. The warm scene is interrupted by the sound of a twig loudly snapping causing Rowan's to turn towards the source, while the Thestral flutters its wing in threat and bares its fanged teeth in the direction of the sound. From the darkness emerges a robbed figure that carries the scent of burned herbs, raggedy oily hair, and red eyes that are always distant, Professor Ariel Zephyros, the Divination professor.

"It is a bit late to be patrolling, Prefect Prince," Professor Zephyros kindly remarked in his usual dreamy tone of voice. "And especially all the way out here."

"My apologies, Professor Zephyros, I had a bit of trouble sleeping, and I thought a night walk might help," Rowan nonchalant lied. "Though I will admit, I did wander off much more than I originally intended to. I shall make haste and return to the Slytherin quarters."

"Not to worry, Prefect Prince, I shall accompany you back," Professor Zephyros replied with a peculiar grin. "I was merely appreciating starry night as well. I can assure you; it shall be no trouble at all, Prefect Prince."

"Of course, Professor," Rowan thanked with a poker face. "Just a moment, please."

Gently reaching up, Rowan tenderly rubs the face of Tenebrus, before leaning over and whispering, "Follow silently." Rowan knew for a fact that Nadira was nearby and would hear her as she had spotted the snake coiled on a branch, before turning invisible.

The Thestral makes a loud huff and shakes its reptilian-like head as its white eyes flicker uneasily towards the figure of Professor Zephyross. "Shh, off you go now," Rowan said in a louder voice. Stepping back, she gently slaps Tenebrus on the rump and sends the Thestral trotting back into the forest to return to its herd.

The Thestral quickly vanishes into the woods, and Rowan turns around in one swift motion allowing her wand to fall into her hand. However, she keeps her arms as relaxed as possible to not show the wand carefully held in her hand that is hidden by her cloak. The two of them are silent as they walk down the narrow and dark path without a lantern except for the dim moonlight streaming faintly overhead.

"I am frankly astonished, Professor," Rowan finally interrupted the silence. "I did not think that you could see the Thestral herd, and even more surprising your actions, sir."

"And why is that Prefect Prince?" Professor Zephyros dreamily replied with a slight trickle of interest visible plaint to see in his eyes.

"Well, you are the Divinations professor, sir," Rowan matter-of-factly murmured. "I would presume that one such as yourself would find Thestral's as omens of misfortune and even death. But then again, I never took Divination. I suppose that I do have a lapse of education in that regard and could merely be misinformed."

Professor Zephyros's lips twitch for a moment with a smile or some other suppressed emotion is only known to him. Eagerly nodding his head, he murmurs, "Though Thestral's can only be seen by those who have witnessed death, they are not truly dark or evil creatures. In fact, they are rather intelligent and caring creatures, it is simply their appearance that has sentenced them to such a cruel fate by the wizarding masses."

"Yes, life is rather ironic like that," Rowan conversed in small talk. "Why just some weeks ago, I was reading the most current biograph of Barry Winkle. I find it amazing that he's even the predecessor of the dearly departed Nicholas Flammel, who was born in 1326. Not many seem to recall the fact, but Barry Winkle was born in 1236 and is easily the oldest wizard alive without the use of even the Philosopher's Stone."

Rowan dramatically paused to contemplatively add, "And might I point out that he also lacks the power of Merlin, Professor Dumbledore, Gellert Grindelwald, or that of any of the countless wizards and witches that have been born throughout the countless centuries and the rest of the world. Ironically, he has outlived them all, it is something quite wonderous and peculiar, do you not think, Professor?"

"Yes, it certainly is a mystery," Professor Zephyros answered with a bit of a sour expression. "Life is simply unfair at times and gifts that which is most precious and desired above all t to those that are seemingly undeserving of such a gift. Life is the most cruel and fickle, Prefect Prince, you would do well to remember that"

Rowan ignored the remark and pressed on. "In Barry Winkle's Biography, he mentions in passing meeting those that knew the First Headmaster of Hogwarts, Marcellus. The First Headmaster of Hogwarts is rarely if ever mentioned even though he was trusted enough by the four founders of Hogwarts to become the first Headmaster of Hogwarts. He surely must have been much more than he appeared to be,"

Professor Zephyros's dreamy eyes become more focused as they lose their dazed appearance as Rowan rambles on as if failing to have noticed the Divination Professor's actions as she continued to spin her tale.

"Intrigued by the mystery, I naturally read up on the First Headmaster of Hogwarts, but there is not much written by Marcellus. Nor is there a Headmaster portrait of him except for a statue on the Hogwarts ground. It is a strange occurrence, but there truly is not much to be found on him except for brief snippets. Though one of those snippets did intrigue me in passing for it mentioned that Hogwarts once had a guardian creature."

Professor Zephyros face hardens as he seems to become seemingly awake as his gaze begins to gain an unnatural chill. Was the Prince child attempting to test the waters? And yet the prideful part of him could not accept such a fact. It was a mere child, and Prince or no, he had defeated for more powerful foes then the girl before him.