Phoenix Tears

Chapter 4: Caduceus

Harry was having a hard time getting comfortable on his broom. His arms ached, his rear end was sore, his feet kept falling asleep. This was the longest he'd ever been on a broom without any kind of break. Above the clouds, the sun was brutal and his hands were slippery on the broom handle. Rivulets of sweat were making tracks down the sides of his face and under his arms. He was thankful for the invisibility cloak which was probably preventing a sunburn, but it was like a sauna under it. He was really thirsty.

Once Nio had helped him navigate around the tree branches and telephone wires and get above the clouds, the little snake had retreated to nap against Harry's belly where he didn't have to worry about the dizzying heights, sun, or wind—or Hedwig.

Harry had nearly jumped off his broom in surprise when Hedwig hooted gently near his ear shortly after they had cleared the clouds—the cool mist of the clouds falling away to impossibly hot, bright light.

When her wings brushed against his cheek, he wondered why he had never thought to fly with Hedwig before... when he could see. He pushed the thought away and in his mind's eye, he imagined the way the wind would lift her up under her wings and ruffle her feathers. He imagined her piercing eyes, steady on the horizon. She was so stealthy that he only knew she was near from her occasional hoots or growls. Harry suspected she made the noises to warn off other birds when he heard the distant calls of geese. Nio wiggled with alarm whenever she made those noises and Harry marveled at how the little snake had ever made the journey from Surrey to London.

When Hedwig started to fall behind, Harry slowed down.

"Hedwig, do we need to stop and rest?" Harry asked hopefully.

She made a cooing noise that sounded like an affirmative.

"Nio, can you climb up to my neck and help me find a place to land?" Harry said, nudging the sleeping snake with his fingers.

The little snake protested a bit and then started squirming up Harry's torso. Harry supported the snake through his shirt to minimize the tickling as Nio climbed up to his perch under his chin.

He also spoke to his staff, "Navigant a safe and muggle-free spot to rest." But instead of directing them to a new location, the staff stopped making any vibrations at all. And then he felt another vibration at a different frequency that was coming from inside his broom; it wasn't directional, rather repetitive, occurring every few minutes. He had a feeling he knew what it was and was eager to land so that he could confirm his suspicions.

"What do you see, Nio?" Harry asked. "Any good landing spots?"

The little snake coiled tightly around his neck, nearly choking him.

"It's okay. I've got you and you're strangling me," Harry said, threading a finger underneath the snake's cool belly.

"I really don't like looking," Nio said in a tremulous voice. "Flying is for birds, not snakes."

As if she understood, Hedwig hooted softly, her feathers brushing Harry's forehead. A moment later Harry grabbed the broom handle with both hands again as the broom dove down through the clouds. Harry's stomach tried to exit from his mouth. He gulped it back in with the realization that a sudden weight had settled on the end of his broom. Hedwig's alarmed cries came from the same spot and he realized as he fought to bring the broom back up, that she had landed on his broomstick. Nio's grip on his neck intensified and for a moment Harry was certain he was either going to die of asphyxiation or from sudden contact with the earth.

Once he adjusted the broom (helped by Hedwig scooting closer to his hands), he was able to tug at Nio's coils and breathe again.

He gasped, "Hedwig. You've got to warn me next time." She grumbled in a way that could be taken as a grudging apology.