Moonlark Rising

Sophie and Dobby play a prank/give a sweet surprise

They had special Galleons to tell them the dates and times of the next meeting. Professor McGonagall was lightening up on Harry and Ron for the Quidditch season, so Sophie was able to help them more with their other homework. Things were starting to look up.

Harry

Sophie's DA session was amazing. Harry had been put with the first time dagger learners. Sophie had split them into groups, one group throwing daggers at targets, one group doing a parkour course and when they mastered both like Hermione had, throwing daggers and parkour.

Hagrid had come back, and Harry had gotten an invite to come down to Hagrid's hut for tea after most of the castle emptied for Christmas break. Ron, Hermione and Sophie had been invited to come too.

On the walk down, Harry was lost in thought. The DA meetings were working, actually working! Hagrid hadn't been thrown out yet, which was good. Harry finally remembered to warn Sophie about Hagrid's rock cakes. 

They got down to the hut, and Hagrid walked out to meet them. Fang bounded up to Sophie first, and began licking her face repetitively. Sophie was laughing as she shoved Fang off her and stood up, placing a hand on the friendly dog's head. 

Sophie smiled good naturedly, but her smile broke off into a bewildered, almost afraid expression as a crack of thunder and whoosh of wings announced the arrival of.. something.

"No... what is she doing here?" Harry thought he heard her mutter, and he followed her gaze, letting out a gasp when he saw what she was looking at.

OoOoOh, who might it be?

Keefe

Keefe walked up to Silveny, Fitz trailing next to him. Silveny snuffled at his hand. Grady had thought asking the sparkly flying horse about Sophie was a great idea.

Fitz said softly, "She's asking about Sophie." Keefe's heart broke a little more. The mama alicorn had no idea, did she...

"Sophie's gone. She's been missing for a few months now."

Silveny let out a concerned, almost angry nicker.

Fitz quickly continued Keefe's sentence. "We were wondering if you could try to find Sophie. She can't block you, and once you see where she is, you can teleport to her and see if she's okay!"

Silveny looked extremely excited about that. She wheeled around and took to the skies, teleporting who knows where. 

Hopefully, to Sophie. Twenty painful minutes passed, then Silveny came back. Without Sophie. She touched down next to them and dipped her head playfully.

"Where's Sophie?" Grady asked, coming up behind them. "Is she okay?"

Keefe held his breath as Fitz replied, "Sophie's ok... but all Silveny will say to any of my questions about where she is and why is the word secret."

Keefe let out a breath, then said shakily, "Ask her why it's a secret."

Fitz closed his eyes again, then opened them. His expression was so conflicted, Keefe wondered what Silveny had said.

"Well..." Fitz said reluctantly. "It could be a coincidence... but she said secret mission. If the mission was from the Black Swan, Mr. Forkle would tell us. So that leaves..."

Keefe felt sick. "The Council," he whispered. Grady looked furious.

"And," he added in a dangerous tone. "If we confront them about it, they'll assume that Sophie told us and get her in trouble. We can't do anything."