The morning was a rather quiet affair for Harry. While Snape and Evelyn were rehashing the plan and figuring out details, he had been sent outside to keep Maggie entertained. Other than the fact that he didn't get to hear the final plan, Harry didn't mind so much, as Maggie was a pleasant little girl and in Harry's opinion, was quite sweet in fact.

      "I'll be the store keeper and you can come in and trade for things," said Maggie, smiling broadly now that she had figured out that Harry was very fun to play with. "The door is beside that rock by the cottage and the front of the shop is here." She stood at the front of the shop, which was really just a patch of mossy earth in between a tall tree and a stump.

      "Hello," said Harry, coming through the ‘door' and browsing the make believe shelves. He was actually enjoying himself a lot, as he was never allowed to join the imaginary games of the children his age when he was in primary school. He'd had games of his own, but they were never quite the same.

     "Is there anythin' you're looking for today sir?" asked Maggie, resting her elbow on the counter (a large stump).

      Thinking upon her question, Harry suddenly had an idea. He glanced over to the window to make sure nobody was watching them, and then he began.

     "Yes," said Harry in a deep voice, puffing out his chest and rubbing his chin thoughtfully. He swooped over to Maggie at the counter. "I'm looking for a cauldron, and some worms to make my students pickle in detention."

       "Oh!" said Maggie, eyes wide. "Are you a schoolmaster sir?"

     "A Professor, actually," said Harry in the same deep voice. "My students are dreadfully stupid. It's a good thing I like Malfoy, or he would be failing, the dunderhead." Harry refrained from snickering.

      "What silly students," said Maggie, shaking her head.  "I have some cauldrons and worms for you. What will you trade for them?"

      Harry began to pace back and forth in thought, barely holding back a smirk as he ran his hand through his hair. "I have a few jars of frog guts and a bag of hands."

      "Hands, sir?" Maggie said, bewildered. Harry had hoped she would ask that.

     "Yes, after writing so many lines in detention, my students usually lose the hand they write with. It's a small price to pay for good behaviour. I assure you the hands have been kept fresh in my office, and are excellent for potions."

     "Alright then," Maggie said happily. "I'll take the bag of hands and jars of frog guts as trade for a cauldron and worms." She handed over the imaginary items and Harry handed his over. "Is that all sir?"

     "Yes," Harry said curtly.

      "Good day sir," waved Maggie.

     Harry turned over to the door to the imaginary shop, and caught sight of the real door to the cottage. He froze, and felt his stomach drop to his toes, for he realised he had only checked to see if someone was looking through the window. Of course, he really hadn't expected that someone would be standing in the open door. Harry frantically told himself that chances were that Snape had only just moved to stand in the doorway. He might not have heard anything at all.

     "Interesting, Potter," Snape drawled as Evelyn was dying of silent laughter behind him. "Or should I say ... Professor?"

      Harry felt like he was going to faint.    

"I assure you that I do not keep a bag of students' hands in my office Potter," Snape said dryly as he fingered his wand in his hand. "Although, if you would like to begin such a ... tradition, then be my guest."

     Harry felt his legs go to jelly as Snape let out a low laugh and turned around to go back into the cottage, leaving Harry to gulp like a fish and consider his luck.  He really couldn't believe he was still standing. He had fully expected Snape to hex him all the way across medieval Scotland and back again. Mind you, Snape's last statement had been pretty terrifying. Harry was sure that there was a threat lurking in there. With a hand (thankfully attached) on his heart Harry sat down on the rock nearby, making a mental note not to get detention with Snape anytime soon.

     "Ooh, now you be the shopkeeper Harry!" said Maggie, completely oblivious to what just took place.

      ***

    For some odd reason, Snape really didn't seem too angry over Harry's little venture into acting. Snape hadn't said a word since earlier. Harry really wasn't sure how to take this, and wondered if Snape wasn't saying anything purely owing to the fact that  it messed with Harry's head. Whatever the reason, Harry was mildly jumpy throughout the rest of the day, especially seeing as he was used to get what he deserved quickly. This was one of the main contributing factors to his worry that Snape was taking him somewhere to kill him when he made Harry accompany him in the endeavour of attracting thestrals. Harry really didn't know what this meant, but as Evelyn was busy making supper Snape would otherwise be going alone. So, though rather worriedly, Harry said he would come along. He was rather curious as to what attracting thestrals would require them to do. He hoped this wasn't some sort of revenge plot of Snape's.

      "You haven't got any fresh meat we can take with us, have you?" Snape asked Evelyn rather hopefully as though it were the most ordinary thing in the world.

      "Sorry," said Evelyn apologetically. "I only have a few pieces of dried fish left. You'll have to improvise."

      "Alright then," Snape said, grimacing slightly. "Come on Potter, we need to be back within the hour."

        So a rather bewildered Harry followed Snape down a slope at the back of the cottage, and over to a little path that led into some trees. They walked a little ways until they reached a clearing. Snape stopped suddenly, and Harry, looking down at his feet so he wouldn't trip over the gnarled roots, bumped straight into him and sat down hard on the ground.

       "Sorry sir," Harry spluttered, straightening his glasses.

       "No, no, I should have warned you," Snape said absent mindedly as he surveyed the area. Consequently, he did not see the odd look Harry gave him, which was owing to the fact that he had been expecting Snape to yell at him. "Ah yes, this is as far as we can go."

     "Why sir?" Harry asked, moving to peer around Snape's side and seeing nothing blocking their way.

     "Because Evelyn says the wards end past that brook over there." Snape pointed at the thin stream of water, flowing a few feet down from them, cutting across the ground horizontally. It cackled merrily at them as it danced over and around smooth, moss covered rocks.

     Snape then began to survey the area, walking in a wide circle through the trees.

     "This will do," he stated simply.

      "So, how do we attract thestrals?"

     "They come at the scent of blood."

      "B-Blood?" Harry asked, suddenly feeling as though he knew the reason he had been brought along. "I d-don't think ..." Dumbledore would approve of this! Harry finished the thought in his head, for his mouth was unable to move any more. He hid his hands behind his back, wanting them to stay attached. Aunt Petunia's frying pan was one thing, but this had to be breaking a law somewhere. 

      "It is fine," Snape said, looking for once completely and utterly confused, "really Potter." Harry watched as Snape drew his wand and flexed his left hand as he surveyed the small shrub to the left of him and Harry.

     "I'm sorry sir about the game earlier!" Harry spat out quickly as Snape turned to face him. "I didn't mean to offend you or anything,"- Snape raised his wand, a strange look on his face -" it was just  a little fun, honest! Don't do it please! I don't really think you keep hands in your - "

   "Calm down," Snape said, looking at Harry as though he had grown two heads. "Well if it bothers you so much, then look away for Merlin's sake!"

   "I -" spluttered Harry. "Wait, what?"

    There was a flash of light, and a second later a large gash appeared on Snape's hand, oozing blood onto his palm. Snape held back a wince, but let it bleed a few seconds and then wiped the blood on the leaves of a small shrub nearby. The leaves were quite red.

     Harry let out a long "Ooohh" and fell silent.

    "What did you think I was going to do?" Snape inquired, healing his hand with a wave of his wand, the shrub still dripping crimson beside him.

     "I thought you ... you ..."

     "I see," Snape said, rolling his eyes. Harry thought that though he seemed annoyed, there was something deeper going on inside his professor than irritation. "You thought I was going to cut you as a punishment for your little display earlier. Is that it?"

     Harry nodded meekly.

    "Do you really think I would do that sort of thing?" asked Snape in disbelief.

     Harry didn't move. But yes, yes he did.

    "Oh Merlin, you do."

     Harry couldn't bear to look at Snape, so he looked at his feet. Besides, his eyes showed everything, and Snape had figured that out, quite obviously.

     "Why would you even think I would hurt you like that?"

      A shrug was the only response Snape got.

     "Or is it not just me? Do you expect other adults to hurt you?" Snape said slyly. 

Harry looked up in surprised before he could stop himself, eyes wide. He quickly changed his expression to one of defiance, the one he usually gave someone if he was trying to guard his emotions. But the damage was done. Snape studied him a moment. He looked like he was about to say something, but he was distracted.

    "Come over here," Snape whispered suddenly, his thought clearly forgotten. "A Thestral is coming." He nodded his head toward something behind Harry. Harry followed Snape, who was walked little ways from the bloody shrub, then backed away to watch the thestral.

    "Where is it?" Harry asked, thinking that Snape had lost it completely.

     "Damn," muttered Snape. "I forgot ... you cannot see them."

     "Why not?"

     "You must witness death, in order to see thestrals," Snape said heavily. "You should be thankful you cannot see them."

     Harry remained silent. He had surely seen his parents killed when he was a baby, at least he thought, but luckily the only thing he remembered was a flash of green light. He was glad he could not remember seeing them die.

     "Watch the leaves of the shrub," Snape told Harry before adding that two more thestrals were approaching from the left.

      Harry concentrated on the shrub, with its leaves covered in blood. After a minute he realised that, oddly enough, the leaves seemed to shiver, and that he blood was slowly disappearing off of some of them.

     "There are four of them now," Snape said as a twig snapped behind them.

     "S-Sir?" Harry asked as hot air whooshed over his neck. "Do you feel that?"

     "Feel what?" Snape said. The hot air stopped, and Harry wondered if he imagined it, until Snape jumped badly beside him.

     A thestral must have been near, for it had begun to lick the dried blood on Snape's hand. Harry watched in amazement as Snape's pale skin was exposed once more, as the scarlet was washed away by something he could not see. Snape lifted his other hand slowly, and it looked in every way to Harry as though he were stroking the air in front of him. Harry heard another whoosh as Snape moved his hand away, and his hair began to move slightly.

    "Bugger off," said Snape irritably. "Go on, get out of my hair you silly thing. Here, have some more blood." He lifted his hand and immediately his hair stopped moving, and the blood resumed in its disappearance. "Close your mouth Potter, you look ridiculous."

     Harry obeyed the order, having not realised that his mouth had been hanging open.

       "Here Potter," Snape said, grabbing Harry's hand and guiding it toward the thestral. "There, now you have something to do besides gape like an idiot."

     Much to his surprise, his hand did not meet air, but something solid. Harry felt a bony head, but it was surprisingly soft, and rather leathery. It had a very wispy mane, just little strands here and there. A mouth nuzzled Harry's hair, and exhaled a noisy breath of air on him, which smelled rather unpleasantly of blood. However peculiar and slightly frightening it was for an invisible creature's breath to smell like blood, Harry was willing to overlook that small detail because it was at least fairly friendly. Though, he still couldn't quite get over the fact that the whole situation was so utterly bizarre. After all it is a very strange experience when your eyes see nothing in front of you while your hands tell you that there was in fact something there. It made Harry's head hurt to contemplate what was going on, so he stopped thinking about it.

       About twenty minutes later and a little bit more blood from Snape, they had attracted fourteen thestrals, which certainly was very good considering the amount of blood they had at their disposal. The calm and agreeable thestrals didn't seem to mind in the least when Snape took two conjured ropes and looped each of them loosely around a group of seven thestrals.

     "We are very fortunate that these thestrals are so docile," muttered Snape as he handed one of the ropes (which looked to Harry as though it was floating along behind him) to Harry. "Some variations of the species are quite irritable, and thankfully most of those live in more tropical regions."

    Harry merely nodded in agreement and set to the task of leading his seven thestrals through the trees and to the cottage along with Snape and his seven. Thinking upon Snape's statement of them being fortunate, he couldn't help but think how fortunate he was that Snape had momentarily forgotten about the odd situation that had transpired when they began their task. Not wanting to bother himself with such worrisome thoughts, Harry preferred to think of how interesting the current situation was. After all, he thought it rather fantastical to have the rope floating along behind him, seemingly moving of its own accord on the few occasions that a thestral decided to wander slightly. Though he did not see them, Harry could feel the creatures, so very much alive as the vibrations from their movements travelled up the rope and into his hands. He soon forgot his troubles, and forgotten for a time they would remain.

     Once they reached the cottage Evelyn lead them down a hill to a little pasture, where she said her horse had once lived. She had had to give him away when McTavish began to persecute witches and wizards, for she could not just leave him when she went into hiding. They untied the thestrals, and put them in the pasture while Evelyn ran up the hill to grab something. She returned with a large string of dead birds she had caught while they were gone.

     "How did you catch that many?" Snape asked curiously as he threw them one by one into the pasture for the thestrals.

     "Summoning charm," said Evelyn a little guiltily. "They didn't really have a chance ... but we have to make sure the thestrals stay."

    "You're sure they won't fly away on us?"

    "Oh, the thestrals around here are pretty content if you feed them once." Evelyn waved her hand to dismiss his concern as Snape threw the last bird into the pasture. "They'll stick around as long as you provide for them. I'll catch a few more birds for tomorrow and they'll be perfectly happy to help us rescue everyone."

     "Make sure to tell them what we are doing first," Snape advised before starting up the hill to the cottage, Harry still standing by the fence and taking a moment to realise that he was walking away.

    "Why would you tell them?" asked Harry breathlessly when he caught up to Snape. He glanced back at Evelyn as she began to talk to the thestrals.

     "Thestrals are very intelligent creatures, and the ones living around settlements are often able to understand basic human speech. Most are quite willing to help if you are kind enough to inform them."

     "Cool," Harry said in awe.

     "Yes, ‘cool' indeed," Snape said with a slight chuckle, much to Harry's surprise.