The town below Harry and Evelyn grew closer, the shrunken buildings around the square seeming insignificant to the vastness of the beasts that were flapping through the air, one of which supporting Harry. One part of Harry thought that it was great fun to be floating seemingly unsupported by anything. However, another part of him, unsurprisingly, was making it rather difficult to keep from putting his hands over his eyes and pray for it all to be over. Though Harry did not have long to ponder this interesting conflict within himself, for the tiny square below him was growing larger and larger as they spiralled down, down, down.

As they descended Harry thought he saw Snape, skulking alone by a little house that bordered the square. The people growing larger and larger, Harry saw the crowd that had gathered to see the prisoners poisoned. The crowd filled the area around the square. Many stood at a distance, leaning up against houses. All of them appeared to be watching the group of people in the middle of the square. Young and old were standing there in the very centre of the square, each holding a cup or bowl full of the same murky, burgundy liquid that McTavish had in a large tin bucket at his feet. He was handing out bowls and cups to those who did not have, and Harry felt a sudden pang of fear for the imprisoned, who were standing there, waiting to be told to drink to their deaths. Men with bows and arrows stood on the outskirts of the square, ready to strike should anyone resist. McTavish himself had his bow upon his back, a strange looking quiver of arrows at the ready. Harry realised that the large metal cup that was fastened to the bottom edge of the wicker tube was probably full of poison, as Evelyn had mentioned. He hoped those arrows would not hit anyone, and that the poison in the cups that the prisoners held would remain in there. But most of all he hoped that this mission would be a success. He did not have much time to hope, for any moment McTavish was bound to see them, soaring in as they grew ever closer. And notice them he did.

Harry's heart skipped a beat as McTavish dropped the last bowl with a clank that was lost with the wind in Harry's ears. McTavish backed away and shouted something to the people assisting him. He let out a loud roar and yanked his bow over his shoulder and strung an arrow quicker than lightning. The archers assisting him could not see the thestrals to aim at, for they were muggles. All they could likely see was Harry, but were likely frightened by the fact that he appeared to be floating. However, McTavish could see the thestrals, and also recognized Evelyn as the leader having now seen her animagus form a number of times. An arrow narrowly missed her as she swooped down, cawing. She returned to her human form, and just as Snape sprinted out into the square, fire erupted from Evelyn's wand, effectively circling the square and cutting off all others, including McTavish. This time the ring of fire was much larger than the one that had encircled the tree in the square, and was not as thick due to the vastness of it. Evelyn stood at the centre, panting heavily and spinning the fire with magic as though it were an enormous, molten glass ring.  All around Harry prisoners were crying out for their families, their cups of poison clattering to the ground and staining the stones red. Thestrals stampeded around Harry, going to the aid of people calling for them. He stayed upon his thestral as it wove around the square, avoiding other thestrals and people running.

"SEVERUS, WE CAN'T GO BACK, HE KNOWS!" Evelyn shouted over to Snape.

Harry's eyes located him quickly. Snape had heard her, and immediately returned to doing all he could to help. Harry watched him. Snape was handing children to their parents high up on thestrals and shouting instructions to everyone he could find. Tearing his gaze from him, Harry then looked back over to Evelyn, who had sweat pouring down her brow as she fought to keep the fire going. Suddenly, with a dull whooshing noise the fire flickered and died. Some of the thestrals had begun to spring into the air, for a few of the freed had already found their families and a thestral. Many still scurried around as the townspeople closed in to take advantage of the missing barrier. McTavish was the first forward with his bow. Evelyn, who had fallen to her knees, was unable to do anything, for she was too exhausted. Snape leapt into action, and with a sweeping motion of his wand he set the grass at the edges of the square ablaze, holding back the throbbing mass of angry people just beyond the cobbled stones as another group shot into the air by thestral. The roofs of the houses met the same fate as the grass, and in seconds hot ash and sparks began to rain down onto the mob as well.

While Snape was busy holding back the mob, shooting spells and jets of fire, McTavish had drawn his bow. Harry felt a gust of wind to his right as yet another thestral took off with its passengers. The rush of wind made Harry close his eyes for a thick cloud of dust had been picked up with the thestral, which mingled with the smoke, still pouring off the roofs like a ghostly waterfall. Through the air rang the clatter of hooves and shouts of people trying to find each other, but a whizzing noise suddenly punctured them all and Harry heard a terrible scream like none other. Harry's first thought was of Evelyn, but then his felt a shudder beneath him. Dust receding slightly, Harry's thestral slammed to the stone, an arrow protruding from its side. It screamed dreadfully as Harry crashed to the ground beside it. In the smoky haze, Snape was suddenly there. He seemed surprised to see Harry, but appeared to understand that something had happened to make him leave the house and find Evelyn, and so he did not question it. It was also likely that he saw that this was not the time for questions. Either way, Harry did not have much time to ponder it while he was dragged to his feet, only moments before Evelyn, a few paces away, shakily got to hers.

"Can't you help it?" Harry asked over the terrible sound of the beast's cries. The smoke made his eyes run, and the sound that wrought through the air made his heart quake.

"The arrow's poisoned," Snape yelled. "I cannot help it."

"Just make it stop!"

In a second the thestral was silent, and Harry did not know what Snape had done, for he had not had the heart to watch. Instead his eyes were trained on Evelyn, and he watched in horror as McTavish reached for another arrow, his gaze too on Evelyn. But he wasn't quick enough. Chest heaving with fatigue she raised her wand, and a jet of green light shot from it. McTavish's bow fell to the ground with a clatter as he dove out of the way, barely escaping. In his haste he narrowly missed the wall of fire that had grown of its own accord since being started by Snape. It was devouring the trees and buildings on the edge of the square as the townspeople tried to beat it down from the other side with wet sacks, the escapees forgotten as they strived to save their town as it rapidly caught fire.  Snape managed to grab a hold of another thestral and threw Harry onto it as the square continued to empty out, the air thick with smoke. Evelyn chased after McTavish, who was running to take refuge behind the hanging platform, for the fire had now spread to all sides. This of course was all very well for those wishing to escape.

Because of the chaos of fighting the fire, none of the townspeople were watching the fight taking place, and that was when McTavish pulled out his wand. He shot a powerful blast of light at Evelyn, and Harry watched, entranced atop his thestral as her wand soared through the air and she was knocked to the ground by the force of the spell. At the same time Snape had fired a burst of green light at McTavish. He was forced to leap out of the way to avoid it, once again narrowly escaping being its victim. As he did so his foot caught on one of the roots belonging to the large tree above the platform, and his wand went flying out of his hand, rolling across the square. Snape dove for Evelyn's wand nearby, which McTavish had been unable to catch. Evelyn picked herself up off the ground once more as McTavish frantically scrabbled for his wand. The hoof of the thestral that was carrying the last group of people off slammed to the stone as it leapt into the air, leaving the wand in pieces. With a roar McTavish frantically dashed for his bow a little ways away. Before Snape could catch up to Evelyn to give her her wand, she was after him. As she ran she reached down and pulled a short knife from a sheath strapped to her leg. McTavish reached down for the bow, but before he could draw it Evelyn had whipped the knife through the air. Time seemed to slow for Harry as he watched the spinning blade eating up the distance between Evelyn and McTavish. With a cry of pain it met its target, and sunk into McTavish's chest, right where Harry thought his cold heart must be. He fell to his knees, a look of shock on his face. The hit would most certainly be fatal.

"GO!" Evelyn's voice cried to Snape, cracking with exhaustion.

Snape threw her wand to her, and she caught it before turning to a raven. Snape ran down the square to where Harry was and leapt up onto the thestral behind him. He dug his heel into its flank; it reared and began to gallop across the square. Harry looked forward and to his right as it did so, and saw with alarm that McTavish was still on his knees, his bow now drawn. Blood dribbled down his chin as the bow followed them shakily while they raced along the square, all the while drawing nearer to where he was positioned to the right of them. Harry tapped the thestral's side to with his heels to make it go faster, but it was going all out. Knowing there was nothing to do but outrun the danger, he felt the wings of the thestral spread and begin to beat frantically as it endeavoured for flight. The rush of the wind and the sound of Snape swearing profusely behind him filled Harry's ears as the thestral launched up into the air. McTavish released the arrow, and seconds later they turned so that their backs were to him and the square, racing ever on into the deep blue sky.

Evelyn let out a loud celebratory caw as the town shrunk behind them. She flipped her wings joyfully.

"We made it!" Snape cried, sounding more excited and relived than Harry had ever heard him before. "I-I don't believe it ... everyone escaped!"

Nobody seemed to notice that Harry was slowly slipping off the thestral.

Potter, we made ... Potter?" Snape started to realise that something was wrong, and his tone changed drastically. "Evelyn we need to land. Now," he said, sounding far away to Harry, and suddenly scared, presumably because he had finally caught sight of the arrow protruding from the upper part of Harry's right arm. Blood was soaking steadily from the black material of Harry's robes, and he could feel the warmth spreading down his arm amidst the haze of pain.

The thestral began to descend. In a daze Harry could feel Snape's arm gripping him tightly to keep him from sliding off the thestral as they careened downward. Moments later they crashed through the canopy of the trees, red and golden leaves falling around them as they thundered to the ground. Harry's vision was blurred from the sharp pain in his shoulder, and he was vaguely aware of Snape pulling him off the thestral and setting him down against a tree.

"Get it out fast!" Evelyn said, having landed nearby. "Wash the wound too. We have to get as much poison out of it as possible. You might as well heal the wound once you do that, no sense in him losing a lot of blood too. It will only speed up the process if he does. Trust me, we tried not healing the wound in earlier cases ..."

"This will hurt Potter." There was no hesitation in Snape's voice.

"Jus' do it," Harry said, voice slurred from pain.

Snape took a hold of the arrow and pulled. Harry gave a loud yell, unable to help himself as blackness gathered at the corner of his eyes, only to recede once more as the pain lessened.

"Aguamenti," Snape said, having tossed the bloody arrow aside. Harry felt a cold stream of water spray the wound. Snape then waved his wand above the gash and a thin film of skin formed over it. The pain lessened significantly.

"Tie off the wound, it might keep it from spreading," Evelyn said.

"Actually that has been proven to do nothing to help," Snape said. "I know a fair bit about healing you know."

"But how can you be sure?"

"It's complicated," Snape said in a rush, and Harry knew precisely what he meant ... new knowledge that wasn't known in medieval times. "How long until ..." Snape sounded very uneasy.

"He got a full dose. It's a slow poison so it takes a full day under the best circumstances. But ... there will be no helping him after about the ninth hour. No antidote can work that well."

"But the antidote back at the cottage isn't ready for two days at least."

"You'll have to go to the maker," Evelyn said. "The man that sent me the recipe, he says he has a stock of it. But that's about an eight hour ride if you go extremely fast ..."

"Apparate then," Snape said hurriedly.

"I ... I've never been further than my cottage," Evelyn said, suddenly tearful. "I've never seen it. I just know what he's told me if I ever need to get there."

"What do you mean?" Snape asked shakily. Harry felt even sicker.

"I c-can't apparate if I‘ve never been there before."

Snape said sharply, "Not even halfway?"

"I've never been past my cottage," she repeated softly. "I only know the road to his house. It's just on the outskirts of Bridgewater; it's the next town over. I've never taken the road before. It's always been a little too late ... and I haven't had a chance yet to go myself to get the antidote from him. Nobody friendly has a horse anymore and it's too dangerous on foot."

Snape sighed very heavily as he looked to the sun. It had passed the midway mark, and had begun its descent.

"Which way?" he said.

"Past the cottage and over the stream where you caught the thestrals. From then it's straight on. After that travel left on the path located down the hill and across the road," she told him, sounding as though she had memorised it word for word. "Keep to that road and turn right at the old mill, then go straight for the rest of the way until you see a house on your right by a pond."

Snape pulled from his pocket a quill and some ink, and told her to write the directions down on the back of his map, which did not extend past the cottage much to Harry's dismay.

"This will be a rough trip," Snape said quietly as he helped Harry onto the thestral again. "We will go by land. The thestral will tire far too quickly if we fly."

"What if we don't ..." Harry whispered suddenly, clutching the thestral's wispy mane as he looked to Snape, standing beside him.

"Then we don't. But damn it I will try," Snape said sharply, swinging himself up onto the thestral as Evelyn handed him the hastily scrawled directions. "I believe this is goodbye then, Evelyn."

"Thank you, and good luck," she said, nodding her head. Harry could tell that she wanted to say more, but knew there was no time.

With no more hesitation they were off, crashing through the trees, hooves thundering beneath them. Thus began the longest journey Harry had ever known.