Raven flew over the trees, scanning the ground below for her Hufflepuff friend. It wasn't difficult given the light dusting of snow covering the ground. It had gotten quite cold lately. Some days she simply wanted to spend in front of a fireplace in Ominis's company. But today, she couldn't pass up whatever news Poppy had. Diving down, the bird transformed and the familiar Slytherin stood in its place.

"Poppy, I flew out as fast as I could after I got your owl. You said you had news about some poachers, and that some of it had to do with me."

The shorter girl gave a firm nod. "It did. I overheard them talking in the Hog's Head and…did you know that they have orders to capture you on sight? I'm certain it's from all your meddling in their affairs. But I can't help feeling like it would be easier to kill you on sight, not capture you. What good would that do them? Do you think it could have something to do with your curse?"

An unsettling chill ran down Raven's spine. "That's a possibility." The little voice in the back of her mind was warning her that he might have something to do with it. "I…don't know for sure." She shook her head, silencing her worries. "But at the moment, I'm more concerned about what else you heard the poachers are up to."

"Fair enough. But I hope you'll let me know if you find anything out or need my help at all. Especially after what you did for Highwing." Raven gave a small but sincere smile. "Does the name 'Horntail Hall' mean anything to you?"

The taller girl hummed. "I'm afraid not. It makes me think of a Hungarian Horntail. What is it exactly?"

"The poachers' best kept secret apparently. The name came up twice, but they never went into detail. I also overheard one of them bragging about all the gold they're making. At the expense of innocent creatures, undoubtedly. The poachers spoke of this area, and I thought if we searched around a bit it might give us clues as to what they're doing. If you ever meet my Gran, this trip never happened."

"My lips are sealed, Poppy.”

The two girls began following the path ahead of them. Upon entering the lightly forested trail, Poppy gasped upon spotting an equine creature trotting up to a rocky ledge where he gave them a look of disdain.

"A centaur," Poppy whispered, walking right beside her friend. "Tread carefully."

Upon getting closer, the centaur spoke, "An entire castle to roam, yet you choose to wander here."

"Please, we don't want any trouble," Raven said, keeping her composure. "We're simply passing through."

"Do you take us for fools?" he spat. "That we do not notice more and more of your kind around here - in league with the poachers?"

"We aren't involved with them," Poppy explained. "We want to see them stopped as much as you do."

"I hope for your sake that is true. Our kind is swiftly losing patience with the poachers and those they work with." He turned and galloped away, rejoining a fellow centaur.

"That could have gone worse," Poppy uttered. The girls hurried past the rest of the trees to where a peaceful pond was located. "Centaurs aren't exactly fans of wizardkind. And the poachers aren't helping matters."

"But why would he think that we had anything to do with poachers? We're clearly students."

"I did notice the poachers talking with a few villagers in Hogsmeade. I'm not sure why. Perhaps that's why the centaurs are suspicious."

Following the path around the pond, the girls came upon a campsite. It was vacant, fortunately. But it gave them a good chance to look around. There were large, empty cages left behind, and skinned pelts of animals and beasts. It was gross, but it let them know it was definitely a poacher camp. Raven noted that the ashy remains of the campfire were still smoking, meaning that they hadn't been gone for long. There was also something really odd. In the back with various supplies was some kind of giant ring made of goblin metal. Whatever it was, it was sized to fit even a troll. And the fact that they apparently paid goblins to make it was unnerving.

"I don't have a good feeling about this," Poppy admitted.

"Me neither, but we should keep going. There's a path leading that way."

Raven pointed to the continuing trail, to which they followed. Not far was the edge of the cliff overlooking a vast forest. Down below on the ledges along the edge were poachers. They'd built a wooden bridge connecting to the other ledge further along. There were also quite a few supplies strewn about. The poachers themselves looked to be patrolling.

"I don't see any creatures," Poppy quietly said. "So what are they doing out here?"

"Only one way to find out."

Raven transformed and took flight. She soared overhead, getting a bird's-eye view. The patrols were understandable once she saw the lone tent they were guarding. Circling back, the black bird swooped down in front of the Hufflepuff and changed back.

"They're guarding a tent. I think we should take them out and see what they're hiding."

Her friend nodded. "Agreed. Lead the way, Raven."

Casting Disillusionment, the girls quietly made their way down the path to get closer. It was sudden when Raven hit one of the poachers with Diffindo and immediately set another alight with Confringo. The poachers fought back with more ferocity than usual, but the duo did well blocking and avoiding their spells. Poppy tossed out some Chinese Chomping Cabbages that harassed and bit at the enemies. The small patrol was finished with a few Petrificus Totalus casts, but the clash left Poppy scratching her head.

"Merlin, you'd think they were guarding the Minister of Magic himself. What is going on here?"

"Let's find out, shall we."

Raven led the way to the tent. She boldly brushed the curtain aside, giving way to a huge arena. People were roaring with excitement. There were growls and hisses and flapping of wings. From the entrance, they could see very little, just glimpses of large creatures and blasts of fire. Raven petrified the wizard standing at a door nearby, allowing them to go in and get a better look. In the arena was a Welsh Green and a Hungarian Horntail. Both wore metal collars and took turns circling and biting at each other.

"What in Merlin's name…" Poppy breathed out.

"Dragons…" Raven was mortified by the cruel sight.

"It's a dragon fighting ring! This is Horntail Hall!" Poppy looked at her friend, a fiery rage in her eyes.

Raven met her gaze with just as much anger. "The name makes sense now. And the secrecy. These twisted monsters."

"No wonder the poachers were in Hogsmeade so much. Likely taking bets and spreading the word, given how crowded it is here. How could they possibly enjoy this? The centaurs have every right to be disgusted with wizardkind. There must be more dragons here. The poachers are far too greedy to run a fighting ring with only two dragons. We should take advantage of most eyes being on the fight and look around. But be discreet. You especially can't afford to be spotted."

Raven almost snorted with pure disgust. "Honestly, I don't care if I'm seen. Whatever it takes to save these creatures." The two went down the nearby stairs to an area below some of the stands. "Now we know what that goblin-made thing was at their camp. A collar to control a dragon. What a vile thing to do. If they ever got their grubby hands on Spitfire and Striker, I'd…I'd…" Her fists were clenching hard.

"That's why we're here to stop them." Poppy took hold of her fist, easing her grip. "Believe me, I'm equally as furious. But we have to focus. We'll free these dragons. And Spitfire and Striker are safe and sound. You don't have to worry for them."

Raven managed a small nod. "I know. It's just the thought that if I didn't take them with me years ago, my dragons could've been in a situation just like this. They're still young, they wouldn't stand a chance." She took a deep, calming breath as they walked. "But it's fine. You're right. They're in the best place they could be."

They made their way around until they came to another arena. Peeking in, they saw a single dragon upon a platform. A Hebridean Black covered in scars with tattered wings. A metal contraption was wrapped around her torso to keep her still, and her legs and wings were clamped down. A muzzle covered her face with a thick chain keeping her head tethered to the platform. Several poachers stood before her, casting spells at her in an attempt to tire and subdue her, but she was thrashing as much as possible.

"They must've only just captured her," Poppy said. "She's putting up quite the fight."

"Not a fair one, though. Not with her chained up like that. How about we even her odds?"

The Hufflepuff nodded and followed Raven down into the next room. There were tables and cages, but only one cage had something occupying it. Raven gasped when she saw it, recognizing the rough, dark bluish purple shell.

"They've got a dragon egg! Hebridean judging by the color. Possibly belonging to the one in there." She rushed to the cage to look at it. "No way we can leave it here."

"Better to take it. No telling what plans the poachers might have for it."

Using Alohomora to open the cage, Raven took the egg and placed it safely in her nab-sack.

"Ready?" the shorter girl asked when they neared the entrance to the arena. "The element of surprise will only buy us a few seconds."

"Then let's make them count."

Raven was the first to launch an attack on one of the poachers. Not only did she knock him flying, but it halted the others' spells on the dragon. It only took the girls a few minutes to dispose of them, but more Apparated upon hearing the casting of spells. One witch garbed in purple and black and wearing a mask designed like a wolf skull pointed at Raven.

"You. You're the one we're looking for. And you brought a friend."

Raven didn't like the sound of that. Why would they be looking for her? Surely her raids wouldn't warrant some kind of bounty, not for the poachers to go out of their way to find her. Raven blocked the spell cast at her, countering with her own. The witch dodged the attack and transformed into a wolf.

"Poppy, hold them off! I've got a plan!"

Before Poppy could protest, Raven changed forms and flew off. She swooped at the other Animagus, scratching the wolf's face with her talons and dodging the vicious maw that retaliated. Several other wizards began casting at her, but her aerial skills allowed her to avoid each and every one. The opening allowed Poppy to subdue several enemies, which in turn made her their primary target. The wolf woman was the only one still watching the black bird. Raven flew to the dragon, landing on her back to peck at the contraption, seeking a way to get it off.

The wolf transformed and cast Reducto at her, causing the raven to fly and avoid it. "Leave that alone! Get down here so I can rip those wings off you!"

Doing one more circle to avoid a couple more spells, Raven spotted the contraption’s weakness. She dove at the witch, causing her to duck, and landed back in human form next to Poppy.

"Accio!"

The witch put up a shield, but to her surprise, the spell never hit her at all. "Tough luck, brat. You missed!"

The Slytherin smirked. "Did I?"

A thunk sounded behind the Animagus. She turned, horrified to see the lever at the base of the platform on the ground. The dragon jerked her head back, finally freeing herself of the muzzle that hid her scarred face. She roared at the newfound freedom, purple eyes looking at the humans with disdain.

"This may have actually been a bad idea," Raven whispered to Poppy, staying mostly still to seem as less of a threat.

"I suppose we'll find out."

The dragon snapped down on the Animagus witch. She screamed before disappearing down the beast's gullet. The other poachers began firing spell after spell at her, but the dragon barely seemed dazed by them. To rid herself of the pesky wizards, she breathed out bursts of flames. Raven and Poppy just barely had time to put up shields around themselves. They listened to the agonized screams of the poachers being burned alive. Until it was only them and the dragon left. The massive reptile eyed them menacingly. She still felt trapped and threatened, Raven could tell. Thinking quickly, the taller of the girls aimed an Incendio spell at the ceiling, burning away the top of the tent. Just as the dragon was stalking toward them, she froze when the rays of sunlight poured in and met her scaly hide.

That was just the opportunity Raven needed. She hurried to find the egg hidden away in her nab-sack and presented it to the dragon. That earned a snarl from the enraged beast. But the girl was gentle and unassuming as she moved close enough to set the egg down in front of her before backing away again. The dragon stared down at the egg in silence, briefly casting her gaze on Raven again before delicately taking the egg into her mouth. Unfurling her wings, she took off, tearing through the rest of the tent. The dragons that had been fighting and a few captive Hippogriffs took off as well. Raven and Poppy stood there for several moments in amazement, relieved to see all the creatures free at last. But the fire was rapidly spreading, burning parts of the arena down. The girls were broken from their trance when a pillar fell next to them, stirring ash into their faces.

"We have to get out of here!" Poppy cried, choking on the fumes.

Raven looked around, the fires rising and making it harder to breathe. A flicker of movement caught her attention. Peering past the flames, she saw a dark, hooded figure. His features lit up in the light. Silver hair framed the sides of his face. His well-groomed mustache and beard gave way to a menacing smirk. Dark eyes seemed to pierce her very soul. The girl gasped, her entire body freezing up as memories flooded her head.

~~~~~

The front door to the manor had been blown to pieces, letting in the chill of the night. Several vases had been shattered and strewn across the marble floor. Paintings upon the walls had been burned and torn. One of the chandeliers had crashed to the floor, lessening the amount of light. Dark wizards in hoods were in the doorway with their wands at the ready. One of them was kneeling, his strong arm around a young girl and his wand pointed at her head. She was crying in fear, her pretty dress dirty and ragged. Layla was across from them, gripping her wand tight. The normally neat and beautiful woman was covered in light wounds with strands of her midnight hair falling into her face.

"Let go of my daughter," she demanded in the most icy tone possible.

"That isn't going to happen till the boss gets what he wants," the wizard holding the child hostage replied. "Until then, this little one is at our mercy."

"M-Mother…" the girl whimpered. "I'm…s-scared…"

Layla's expression softened for a moment. "Everything will be all right, Raven. I promise." She glared at the group again. "Tell me what your boss wants."

Two wizards blocking the door stepped aside, and in strolled a silver-haired man. He looked like a rather wealthy gentleman compared to the others. "Miss Lothaire," he greeted. "A pleasure to finally meet you."

"The pleasure is not mine. Who are you? What do you want with my family?"

The man politely bowed. "Who I am is irrelevant. But I assure you, I mean none of you any harm, madam. All I ask for is the use of your…unique magic."

Layla gasped. "How do you know about that?"

"Also irrelevant. Let's just say, I've done my homework."

"Well you'll have to forgive me, but I can't do what you think I can."

The man frowned. "Come now, Miss Lothaire, you shouldn't lie to me. I know of your lineage."

"You know nothing," Layla argued. "That power you seek has nearly diminished over the ages, weakening with each new generation. My magic is barely capable of reversing the Full Body-Bind Curse. I can't help you even if I wanted to."

There was silence as the mysterious man seemed to judge whether he believed her or not. But finally he looked down at the child. "Perhaps a demonstration is in order."

With a nod to the wizard, the arm around Raven loosened. It happened just when she thought she was free to run to her mother.

"Crucio!"

With a flash of red light, Raven fell to the floor, screaming and writhing. Every part of her was hurting, like lightning was coursing through her.

"No!" Layla started to go to her, but the wands pointed at her kept her from doing so. "You monsters! Stop it!"

"Only once you agree to do as I say."

Raven was thrashing about on the floor, crying and shrieking. Her magic started crackling around her, steadily growing. Even her eyes glowed red. It made the Dark wizards back away in alarm. Raven struggled to roll onto her knees, a strange feeling mixing with the pain. She felt like her body could burst open. It was like she needed to push back the curse used on her - like something inside was telling her to - so she did her best to do so hoping that it would cease the pain.

Waves of magic shot out from her. It was like an explosion that caught everyone around her. Expelling the curse did wonders to rid her of the torture, merely leaving her exhausted. But the agonized screams that met her ears were just as awful, as if she were the one suffering. The wizards had all fallen to the floor in unbearable pain. But Layla was in the exact same state. Raven watched with wide eyes while her mother was writhing and crying in anguish - all because of her. It seemed like an eternity passed before the Unforgivable Curse began to wear off. But it was then that the leader of the Dark wizards forced himself to his feet. He snatched up his wand and stormed over to yank Raven aside by the arm, an almost crazed look in his eyes.

"Incredible! Your power is incredible!"

"Get your hands…off her…" Layla weakly objected, reaching for her wand on the floor where she'd dropped it.

Jerking the traumatized child along, the man went over to crush the woman's wand under his shoe. "My dear, why ever did you lie to me? This one has as much power as your ancestors, I'd wager. Which means…" He aimed his wand at her. "I don't need you anymore. Avada Kedavra!"

A flash of green lit up the dim room, and in that instant, Layla was no longer moving. Raven didn't even know how to react. So many emotions overwhelmed her to the point that all she could do was stare, silent tears pouring from her eyes.

"Layla! Raven!"

Damian rushed in at that moment, casting Expelliarmus to disarm the man standing over his wife's body. It only took him a moment to analyze the situation, and while tears started forming in his eyes, he acted immediately.

"Depulso!" He sent the man flying and immediately went to take Raven's hand, snapping her out of her trance. "Raven, run! Bijou will take you somewhere safe!" He pushed her along, getting her legs moving. She ran for the doorway, her father using Glacius to stop the weakened men from grabbing her on her way out. "Bijou!" he called, his focus keeping his little girl's route safe. His worries vanished when the house-elf Apparated to where the child was.

Raven turned her head in time to see the Dark wizard behind Damian. "Father, behind you!" Before Damian could turn around, another use of the killing curse sent him to the floor. "No! Father!"

"Bijou will protect the young lady," the elf said, turning away from the gruesome scene and taking Raven's arm to keep her from heading right back into the danger.

They Disapparated, leaving the mysterious man to clench his fists in anger. Raven was in front of her grandfather's manor in the blink of an eye. Bijou gave the child a brief hug before opening the front door for her, a hand on her back to guide her inside. Armel came rushing into the foyer, surprised by the intrusion. When he saw his distraught granddaughter and the family's house-elf, unease washed over him. Raven immediately latched onto his leg, sobbing and shaking like a leaf.

"Raven, what happened? What's wrong?"

Bijou stepped forward with a sad, solemn expression. "Bijou has terrible news. It seems Dark wizards were after Madam Lothaire and the young lady. Master and Madam were killed. Bijou wanted to help, of course, but Master asked Bijou to keep Lady Raven safe."

Armel's face contorted from surprise to rage to sorrow in a matter of seconds. "Merlin, this can't be…" He took Raven, kneeling down to hold her tight, shedding a few tears himself. "I'm glad you're safe, Raven," he told her. "If I'd lost all of you tonight, I…I don't know what I'd do."

"Mother…and Father… It's my fault…" the child softly cried. "My magic…it hurt Mother…and that scary man…killed her…because of me…"

"Shh. Calm yourself, little bird. Whatever happened tonight was not your doing." His deep voice was soft and tender towards her. "Listen to me, Raven." He held her shoulders and met her gaze. "I don't want you to dwell on this. Don't blame yourself. You still have Bijou and me. We're going to take care of you."

"What about all of Father's beasts?" Raven sniffled. "They're still down in the basement. What'll happen to them?"

"I'll retrieve them tomorrow. The ones I can keep will stay in my wardrobe with the others. But I'm afraid the rest will have to be released. I'm not as young as I used to be, and keeping Graphorns and Hungarian Horntails requires much time and maintenance. Bijou will make sure they're back in their natural habitats." Raven nodded in understanding, still wiping at her teary eyes and hiccuping between her sniffles. "I'll have everything taken care of, I promise. It's late. You need to rest. I know it'll be difficult, but try for me, my little bird."

He gave a weak smile, trying to remain strong for her. Raven, again, nodded. "I'll try, Grandfather." Bijou went and took her hand, knowing she needed to help get the child settled for the night. Raven paused after a few steps toward the staircase. "Oh, what about Ominis?"

"Ominis?" Armel echoed, stroking his mustache and beard.

"Ominis Gaunt. He's my friend, and Mother said we were supposed to marry. The Dark wizards won't go after him, will they?"

That pure-blood name rang a bell. "Ah, a Gaunt. A powerful family, those ones. Fret not, he should be safe. I see no reason why he would be targeted."

"May I visit him tomorrow?"

Armel hummed. "You may, but I'm afraid it'll be the last time you see him. After the funeral for Damian and Layla, we must leave."

Raven gasped. "But…where are we going?"

"I don't know yet, but I must get you out of Britain. But please, Raven, rest."

Raven followed Bijou, gripping her hand tight. She didn't know how she would get any sleep after such a traumatic experience. She had too many concerns, too many fears, and too many thoughts on who that man was who seemed so interested in her cursed magic.

~~~~~

"Raven! Come on!"

Poppy's voice snapped her out of her trance. The flames grew hotter, and she started coughing. She took another look, squinting to try and find the hooded figure. But there was no one there. Turning, she followed after the Hufflepuff, her eyes stinging from the ash in the air and the tears pricking her eyes. Only once they were outside did they stop to catch their breaths.

"Raven, what happened back there?" the shorter girl asked. "You looked like you saw a ghost or something. Why…are you crying?"

Raven hadn't realized she was, but when she wiped her eyes, she indeed felt the wet trail of tears. "I'm sorry, I… Did you see anyone amidst the fires?"

Poppy shook her head. "No. There wasn't anyone that I could see."

"Then I was imagining things." The Slytherin dried the rest of her tears and forced a smile. "We did a good job today. We set free several dragons and beasts, and returned an egg to its mother."

Poppy tried to smile. "Right. Yes. We saved those creatures. But you…" She decided against pushing the topic further, instead voiced another concern. "You likely have a larger target on your back now, because of what we just did. I hope you'll be careful going forward."

"I will, don't worry. For now, I…I'd like some rest. We've had enough excitement for one day." She turned to leave.

"Raven," Poppy said, stopping her friend. "I'm always here to help or just listen if you need."

Raven flashed her a smile from over her shoulder. "I know. Thank you, Poppy. But I'm fine, really. You wouldn't really understand even if I told you."

Poppy watched her fly away. She wouldn't pressure the girl for answers. It wasn't her business. But she still worried about her sometimes. There was some comfort in knowing that Ominis would likely be the one she’d confide in, and he'd be there to comfort her better than anyone else could.