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Mioha was floating.
Thick darkness enveloped her from all sides, shielding her from the pain she had felt before.
She felt neither the burning sensation in her throat nor her throat at all.
She did not feel anything.
Hello?, Mioha tried to say, but no sound came out of her mouth. All remained silent.
The impenetrable darkness seemed to have no end. She started feeling panic rise inside her.
Was she dead?
Would she float around, bodiless, forever? Until she lost her mind?
Mioha couldn't say how much time had passed. Her mind had grown dazed as if she was slowly dissolving into pieces. Even thinking the tiniest thoughts felt to be too much of an effort. Perhaps, later on, her brain would shrink until nothing was left anymore. Not even atom. Or quarks. Or whatever was smaller than quarks.
But then...bit by bit, the darkness seemed to weaken, like dark fabric getting worn out from being washed too often. Her surroundings started to brighten. It happened very slowly, barely noticeable, but soon the blackness had faded to a soft grey.
Mioha started to feel her body again. Her throat did not ache anymore as it had after drinking the mead. Instead, she felt perfectly fine.
Her heart suddenly jumped into a gallop at that realization.
So she was dead.
Mioha turned her head warily, searching for the light source that was driving the darkness away.
She found a glowing ball of white light behind her, nearing her at a slow pace. The closer it got, the more Mioha felt her anxiety fade, which got replaced by a sudden calmness.
The light felt soothing and when it was barely a meter away, all the grey had faded and brightened into a soft white.
Mioha gasped as the ball of light started to shape itself. It grew in length and width, legs sprouting and a head following until a creature stood before Mioha which she was very familiar with.
"Siya?", she whispered confused.
"Hello, sister", the Silverwing nickered gently. Her eyes twinkled happily and Siya stretched out her neck to nuzzle Mioha's cheek with her nose.
Mioha closed her eyes, feeling happiness warm her from head to toe.
"So I am dead", she mumbled.
"No."
Siya pulled her head back and looked at Mioha, her expression suddenly worried.
"You were very close near death, but your human friend Harry Potter saved you."
Mioha's eyes widened.
"He saved me?", she repeated. "But if I'm not dead, then where am I?"
Siya's ears flicked forward.
"On a narrow edge between life and death", she replied. "Soon, you will be returning to the world of the living, and then I cannot reach you anymore."
"But you've visited me before", Mioha pointed out. "You've talked to me in dreams."
Siya tilted her head slightly.
"Yes, but it takes me time to reach you that way. And we do not have that time."
"But-"
"Mioha."
The Silverwing looked at her warningly.
"Listen carefully. You have forgotten many things of your past, but there is one which you must remember. Firenze has failed, so I will have to show you."
Siya leaned forward and lowered her head until her spiraled horn was hovering above Mioha's forehead.
Mioha swallowed nervously.
What was this about?
The next moment, she felt the cool tip of Siya's horn touch her skin.
Her stomach started to churn and Mioha felt herself falling through a whirl of colors. Voices whispered in her ears, too many speaking at once to discern what they were saying.
Abruptly, Mioha felt herself land on something hard. The voices stopped.
"Ugh", she groaned and opened her eyes.
They were met with a grey, cloudy sky. The sun shone weakly onto her face, barely driving the sudden chill away which had started to seep into Mioha's bones.
"Look", whinnied Siya urgently and stepped next to Mioha.
The Slytherin pushed herself onto her feet and followed her sister's gaze.
They were standing on a wide grassy plain, the grass having a dead brown color. In the distance, a silver-white horse was galloping past them at enormous speed, carrying a person on its back. Her heart suddenly started to beat faster.
Somehow, she felt like she had met that horse before...
Mioha squinted her eyes in an attempt to see more clearly.
"Wait", she said slowly, "that's my headmaster on the horse..."
Her voice trailed off as she watched Gandalf gallop past her, his beard fluttering behind him until he vanished into the distance.
"Siya, why-"
"Gandalf's horse was named Shadowfax", Siya explained seriously. "Also named as 'Lord of the Horses' and a descendant of Felaróf."
Mioha still did not understand.
"What's this got to do with me?", she asked puzzled.
Siya's mane flowed softly in the cold breeze.
"After the Battle of the Five Armies, Lux the Light Titan got reborn into Shadowfax", she neighed and looked Mioha urgently into her eyes. "Come. There's more to see."
And she leaned forward to touch Mioha's forehead with her glowing horn.
Again, Mioha felt herself falling.
She landed on her feet this time and swayed strongly to regain her balance.
Siya trotted up beside her and jerked her head at something that was behind Mioha.
The girl turned puzzled.
Behind her was a clearing. An empty clearing. Tall trees blocked out the sunlight, letting the ground remain covered in shadows.
Mioha couldn't see anything at first and she wondered what she was supposed to be looking at.
The silence was eery and she turned to her sister with a questioning look.
"Siya, what-"
The Silverwing shook her head mutely.
Mioha sighed and refocused on the clearing.
She had no idea what she was supposed to-
A blue light flitted through the air.
Mioha suddenly felt a strong sense of déjà-vu as she watched a tiny blue-colored firefly whizz across the clearing.
"What's that?", she whispered, her eyes following the tiny blue light, which buzzed around quietly while illuminating the dimly lit clearing with its glow.
"A blua", neighed Siya, watching Mioha alertly. "A blue firefly. It was another form of the Light Titan two hundred years ago."
Mioha shook her head slowly.
"Could you just tell me-"
Siya touched her horn to Mioha's forehead.
There was a flash of light and again, she was falling.
Over and over, her sister showed her other forms of Lux, each one a little closer to the present.
Unicorns, griffins, Pegasi, werewolves, bald eagles, even a fluorescent jellyfish.
Mioha couldn't put her finger on it, but she felt like she'd seen all of this before- like a distant dream that had faded away.
With every Light Titan Mioha saw, a feeling started to grow inside her, a sense of recognition that intensified until Mioha felt like should remember something...but she couldn't.
Finally, Siya showed Mioha one last Light Titan form.
And Mioha's eyes widened in disbelief.
Before her stood a herd of Silverwings, around a dozen silver creatures that glimmered gently in the sunlight. Two foals jumped around happily, whinnying in delight as they spread their wings in an attempt to fly before they flopped back onto the ground.
"That's...you", said Mioha slowly. "And...me."
Her head whipped around in shock.
"Siya, are you saying you were the Light Titan?"
The Silverwing snorted amused.
"No, sis. Look closer."
Mioha's eyebrows furrowed in confusion and she turned her head back towards the herd.
Her mother Nura was secluded from the herd, her slim head raised as she alertly watched the sky.
Mioha's throat tightened and she felt tears stinging in her eyes.
Mom, she thought sadly.
"Mioha, look", Siya said gently.
Mioha swallowed thickly and she tried to listen to her sister. Her gaze wandered over each of the adult Silverwings, her mind mentally going through the familiar names she had never forgotten.
Willis...Erynis...Gelfram...Tobal...Airen...
And there was her younger self, a one-year-old Mioha jumping around happily.
Silver symbols were glowing on the young Silverwing's coat, and one was brighter than the rest of them. It was a circle on the equine's forehead, divided by thin lines into five pieces.
The Slytherin's eyes widened as her eyes flitted back to the other Silverwings.
None of them had any symbols on their bodies.
It was only her.
Mioha gasped and clutched her head as memories started to rush into her mind. Pictures filled her mind...pictures from a long, long time ago...
She'd lived before. And before that too. And before that too...
How-?
Mioha squinted her eyes shut as she tried to understand what she was seeing. Her heart beat so fast, she felt like it would explode out of her chest.
A thought formed in her mind.
Could she be-?
No! It couldn't be!
But the memories filling Mioha's mind proved her wrong.
She saw herself in thousands of different forms and knew instinctively when she had lived as what creature.
She had been alive for so long, reincarnated into a new creature after each of her deaths, living in a never-ending cycle. She'd been thousands of different creatures, large and small, weak and strong, but she had always been a female...
And the most peculiar thing was that-
Mioha's heart started racing as she realized something.
Every Titan had a mate.
She had a mate.
And her mate was reborn as well.
She had never spent a single Titan-life alone.
"Siya", she whispered in shock, her voice cracking. "How can I-?"
The Silverwing trotted up to her and placed her muzzle on Mioha's shoulder.
"You are Lux, Mioha", she whinnied quietly. "You have been a Titan, and you always will be. Mother knew the moment you were born who you were, and so did the rest of our herd. But when she turned you into a human to save you, she accidentally started something which even she could not anticipate."
Siya looked deeply into Mioha's eyes, worry shining within her own.
"All six Titans are connected. When you were forced to take on a human form, your five Titan brothers and sisters got trapped in their earthly forms. As long as you remain a human, you will never break them out of it."
Mioha shook her head in shock and took a step back.
"What are you saying?", she said in panic, "I thought I was supposed to accept becoming a human! And now you're telling me I have to give it up again?"
Siya inclined her head sorrowfully.
"I know, but that was necessary. In this life, your earthly form is a Silverwing, combined with your inner Titan. Neither side can be neglected. But you becoming a human...that had never happened to any Titan before. I had to make sure you would not forget that you were a Silverwing, which is why you first had to overcome your block against your human side."
She laid her ears back apologetically.
"And now, you must regain your Titan form once more. I am sorry, sister, but you need to leave your human life behind."
Mioha sank down to her knees, feeling dread pulsate through her.
"No, I- I can't", she cried, wrapping her arms around herself. "I have friends- and family, why- why can't I be both a Titan and a human?"
Siya lowered her neck to look into Mioha's green eyes.
"A human's life span is short and limited", she neighed quietly. "And that goes against everything that a Titan is, Mioha. It is not possible to be both.
You were born a Titan in the shape of a Silverwing, which means you must become that again. Otherwise, the creatures of light will continue to perish, and so will everyone else until not even the Titans are left anymore. The balance has been disturbed. Now, it must be fixed again."
Mioha closed her eyes and felt hot tears rolling down her cheeks.
What about the Weasleys? Her friends? What would happen in her next life?
She would...have to live on without them, as she had done a thousand times before.
Mioha couldn't contain her sobs anymore.
"Draco", she choked out, "he's m-my mate-"
Mioha buried her head in her arms, feeling Siya's warm body press itself against her shoulder.
She knew she would see Draco again in her next life because he was her mate. That knowledge was glowing brightly in her heart, like a light she couldn't ignore anymore.
But Draco hadn't wanted her.
And why would he want her now, if he found out she wasn't even going to remain a human? How would that work?
Mioha's shoulders shook violently.
"Why didn't I know before?", she whispered. "Why?"
Siya did not give a reply. Perhaps she did not even know herself.
"What about Orlai?", said Mioha with a cracking voice. "She's been healing the unicorns, her fur is golden and Professor Lupin has gotten better because of her-"
"And who was with Orlai the entire time?", Siya interrupted her quietly. "You, Mioha. Rorinn was right, when she suspected at first that you were the one healing the unicorns.
Orlai never was the Light Titan."
Mioha couldn't believe her ears.
Did this mean that the entire time, they'd been wrong?
"There's a rare mutation that makes some unicorns retain their golden fur", Siya continued in a gentle voice. "That's all there is behind Orlai's unique appearance."
Mioha shook her head, more tears blurring her view.
This was too bizarre. Was she dreaming? Was this all a weird, crazy fever dream, a side effect from the poison?
"Our time is running out", Siya neighed softly and straightened up again. "Mioha, you must return to the Birth Place and enter it. That's the only way for you to rid yourself of your human form."
Mioha looked up, her face glistening from the shed tears.
"Birth Place?", she heard herself say, as if her voice was coming from far away. "But where is it?"
The Silverwing shook its head.
"I do not know. And I cannot help you with that. This knowledge is known to the Titans only."
"But how-"
"You have your memories back, Mioha. You can do it. But you must hurry."
Siya looked at her warningly.
"The dark wizard gets more powerful with every passing day. And the longer the Titans remain trapped in their earthly forms, the weaker every other creature will become. And eventually, you will fade too."
"But Voldemort is a human", mumbled Mioha confused, feeling deep sadness and grief wash over her at the thought of losing her newly found friends and family. "He will get weaker too. All humans are linked to the Earth Titan."
"No."
Siya shook her head, sending her mane flying.
"He was human once. Now he is just a shadow of Tom Vorlost Riddle, not dead but not fully alive either."
The Silverwing's voice suddenly grew weaker.
Mioha slowly lifted her head.
Her eyes widened as she saw her sister flicker before her, like a contorted reflection in water.
"Siya, what's happening?", she asked in panic and pushed herself onto her feet.
The Silverwing looked at her trustingly.
"You're returning to the living", she neighed, her voice sounding strangely distorted. "You've healed enough to go back to where I can't follow you."
Mioha wiped the tears out of her face.
"No, please don't go", she stammered. "I still don't know if I can-"
Her voice cracked.
"You can", said Siya gently. "I believe in you, sis. And so does our mother."
Mioha looked at her with wide eyes.
"We never left you, Mioha."
The Silverwing's eyes sparkled at her.
The light started to grow weaker, it looked as if a large cloud had blocked out the sun. Siya continued to fade and so did Mioha's surroundings. The trees and grass melted to a dull grey, darkening rapidly to a darker shade. Mioha instantly felt cold without the warmth of her sister. The pain and sadness she had been feeling seemed to intensify, until she felt it become unbearable.
Her eyes started watering again.
Then, one last time, her sister spoke. And these last few words Siya neighed were so quiet, they were barely louder than a whisper.
"I love you."
And then Mioha was alone again, floating though darkness.
—————————————————
"When will she wake, Poppy?", asked Pomona. "It has been three days."
The matron shook her head grimly.
"Her body seems to be fighting the last traces of the poison in her system, although I have done my best to get it all out. Mr. Potter's bezoar certainly did a fair amount of the job."
The Herbology Professor sighed and looked down at the sleeping Slytherin.
Three days had passed, and Miss Mioha just continued to sleep.
She did not seem to be experiencing any pain, she was just...sleeping.
"I will have to return to my class now", said Pomona and grimaced. "Who ever thought that the Herbology syllabus of the second-years should contain screaming mandrakes must have been mental."
Poppy shuffled past her, muttering something under her breath.
"Yes, yes", she said absentmindedly, placing a few colored phials onto the nightstand next to Miss Mioha's bed. "You do that."
Pomona shook her head amused and grabbed her hat, then turned to head towards the doors.
In her mind, she was already going through ways to pair up the students.
Miss Burten was very hysterical, she had to be kept away from Miss Trighton, otherwise both would yell the other one's head off...
And Mr. Wicker should definitely not be paired up with Miss Orlean, they never seemed to get along...
"Pomona!", said Poppy sharply.
The stout witch whirled around at the alarmed tone of her colleague.
"What is it, Poppy?"
The matron mutely pointed at Miss Mioha.
Pomona held in a gasp.
Neither she nor her colleague was able to explain what on earth had transpired.
The two witches exchanged a gobsmacked look.
————————————————-
Mioha knew she was in that room next to the Hospital Wing again. She could smell it.
It was warm and she felt very comfortable. Her mind felt a little drowsy, perhaps she'd been asleep a long time.
Maybe she could lie here a bit longer...
Then her memories came crashing back.
Mioha's eyes ripped open in shock.
She was Lux. The Light Titan. And it was her fault that unicorns had been dying, not to mention all the werewolves and the other creatures of light.
Her eyes were fixed on the ceiling, yet she could not see it. Her mind was revolving around what Siya had shown her...and what Mioha had to do.
Get a grip!, Mioha told herself sharply as she felt panic rise inside her. You're a thousand years old, for Merlin's sake! You can't be crying, you should be trying to find the Birth Place.
Keeping that thought in mind, she tried to keep all the other emotions at bay. Mioha slowly pushed herself into a seating position, barely acknowledging the fact that Madam Pomfrey strode into the room. The matron always seemed to know when her patients were awake.
"Miss Mioha!", she said with delight. "How are you feeling?"
I am Lux, Mioha repeated inside her head.
She stared at her bedcovers, her hands gripping the soft material.
"Miss Mioha?"
The Slytherin slowly tore her gaze away from the white blanket and looked up.
"Thank you, I'm fine, Madam Pomfrey", she said mechanically. "Can I speak to Professor Dumbledore?"
The matron looked puzzled at the odd request.
"Yes, but I insist you stay here for another day. You have been poisoned, after all. It could have ended deadly. However, I will tell the headmaster you wish to see him."
Her eyes narrowed a little, as if she suspected that something had happened while Mioha had been unconscious. But to Mioha's relief, she did not say anything.
"Drink this", she said curtly and pressed a green phial into Mioha's hand. "It will clear your head."
Mioha mumbled a thanks and tilted her head back to empty the glass flask, grimacing when her mouth was filled with a bitter taste of vinegar.
She swallowed quickly and handed the phial back to Madam Pomfrey, instantly feeling her head clear from the fuzziness.
"Do you have any pain? Any aches or spasms?"
The matron scurried around Mioha's bedside and pulled out her wand.
"Lumos", she muttered and held it into Mioha's face, holding the Slytherin's face in place with her other hand.
Mioha tried not to blink since she guessed this was some sort of medical procedure, but the bright light was surely blinding. Her eyes started watering as Madam Pomfrey switched to her other eye, mumbling under her breath.
"Very strange", said Madam Pomfrey finally and pulled her wand back. She straightened up and gave Mioha a quizzical look.
"What's the matter?", said Mioha confused, rubbing her sore eyes.
"You seem to be healthy", the matron continued, surveying her critically. "No other changes have occurred..."
Other changes?
Mioha furrowed her eyebrows and lowered her hands. She had no idea what Madam Pomfrey was talking about.
The matron caught her confused expression and conjured a mirror. She silently handed it to Mioha, who accepted it, feeling more puzzled by the second.
The Slytherin looked into the mirror, not knowing what to expect- then shrieked in surprise.
"What by Merlin's pants happened to my hair?", she said in a panic, angling the mirror so she could see around her head.
"It's- it's-"
She stared at her reflection. Her hair had lost its normal brown color and was now a ghostly white.
"You gave me quite an enigma yesterday", said Madam Pomfrey and shook her head. "I could not for my life figure out whether you were experiencing some sort of reaction to the essence I gave you. You are the first Silverwing-human patient I have ever had, after all."
She took the mirror back from the stunned Slytherin and vanished it.
"But I assume your Silverwing blood was trying to rid your body of the poison. This must be why your hair changed its color since in your natural Silverwing state, it is white."
"Can you change it back?", asked Mioha puzzled, forgetting momentarily about her newfound Titan knowledge. "Please?"
"Believe me, I've tried", Madam Pomfrey sighed. "Reverting your hair color back to brown is simply impossible. It could fade on its own back to normal, which I doubt, so you will have to use charms to hide it. Can't have you walking around school with white hair, everyone would put two and two together within a second."
The matron handed Mioha another vial to drink, then exited the room, leaving Mioha to her own thoughts.
With nothing to distract her, Mioha couldn't stop herself from going over what she'd learned while being almost dead.
She had symbols on her body that appeared when she either transformed into a Silverwing or when she used a lot of her magic. Her younger self had a glowing circle with five segments on her head, so Mioha suspected she herself still bore that symbol. And now, after remembering her past lives, she knew what this circle meant.
It symbolized the other five Titans she had a connection to, which were Ignis, Aqua, Umbra, Terra and Aer. And she suspected that the other Titans had the same symbol too, when they weren't in their earthly forms.
But...she had so many questions.
What would happen when Mioha stepped into the Birth Place? Would the Titans suddenly achieve their Titan forms again?
How would Mioha bear it to live on for eternity, knowing that her friends would die at some point, just like the friends Mioha had had in her earlier lives?
And-
Mioha's breath hitched.
She knew where the other Titans were. Her connection to them was weak, very weak, but it still existed.
And more importantly, she knew what they were.
Pictures started flitting across Mioha's mind.
Nanrek was Terra.
Octo was Aqua.
Aer was...Big Blue?
Who would have thought a butterfly could be a Titan?
Mioha closed her eyes in concentration.
She was Lux.
That left... Ignis and Umbra.
Fawkes.... and Nagini.
Mioha felt herself turn cold.
As long as she was a human, Nagini would remain a normal snake. But what would happen once the balance was restored? Would Umbra become an evil follower of Voldemort? Did he even know?
Mioha exhaled shakily and rubbed her forehead.
In all this hodgepodge, there were five things she knew for certain.
She was the Light Titan.
Draco was her mate.
She had to lose her human form.
She had to find the Birth Place.
And she had no idea where to start looking.
—————————————————
Mioha had regained consciousness in the late morning, which meant all her friends were still in class.
Madam Pomfrey was in the Hospital Wing most of the time, dropping by every now and then to check whether Mioha hadn't wandered off.
The Slytherin couldn't do much besides sitting in her bed and reading books. She couldn't focus on the pages and desperately wished for some sort of distraction, even listening to Hermione talking about the political situation of the Goblin Clans in 1465 would have been better than thinking about...you know.
And that welcomed distraction came soaring through the opened window.
"Mioha!", Esma squealed and shot into Mioha's hair, pressing herself against the girl's neck.
"You're alright! I thought you were going to die!"
Mioha smiled weakly and gently stroked Esma's side.
"Hey, Esma. I'm sorry I worried you."
"Draco told me what happened."
"He did?", said Mioha dazedly.
"Yes."
Esma fluttered out of Mioha's hair and landed on her knee instead. She ruffled her feathers angrily.
"He found me in the owlery and told me all about that Pansy Porkinson-"
"It's Parkinson, actually."
"-and that she'd actually tried to kill Gandalf again! And then almost murdered you instead!"
Esma looked positively furious.
"Of course, I suggested immediately that we chop off her head, but of course Draco couldn't understand a single word I was saying, so I tried to mime it instead. But then he seemed to think I was going mental and he dragged me to Hagrid, who gave me an awful-tasting cookie, and then-"
"Esma, slow down."
Mioha had to swallow heavily.
"I need to tell you something."
Esma fell silent and looked up. Her button eyes suddenly had a serious look in them.
"I need to tell you something too."
She blinked puzzled.
"What by the Great Eagles' feathers happened to your hair?"
She cocked her head, eyeing the white curls that fell down Mioha's back.
"It's a long story. You go first", said Mioha quickly. She wanted to avoid the Titan-topic for as long as possible.
"Okay. Can you meet me at the owlery?"
Esma hopped excitedly onto Mioha's knee.
"Might want to hide that hair of yours, though."
The Slytherin nodded.
"Madam Pomfrey said I should stay here, but she probably won't notice me leaving for a bit."
"Great!", chirped Esma. "I'll see you there!"
And she shot out of the window in the next second.
Mioha sighed and swung her legs over her bed.
She needed to speak to Gandalf. But he would most likely be busy until evening. Spending a little time with Esma would do her some good.
It took Mioha about ten minutes to get to the owlery. She placed a charm on her hair and wings before she left the room. The corridors were empty, all students were either in classes or in their common rooms.
Mioha slowly walked up the creaking stairs and entered the owlery.
It was almost empty. Two owls were sleeping on their perches, while the rest seemed to be out flying.
"Esma?", Mioha whispered, not wanting to wake the owls.
"Over here."
Swift fluttered out of a dim corner to Mioha's right and landed on a perch next to her.
"Come", he chirped excitedly and flew off the perch, heading towards the corner again.
Mioha ducked to avoid hitting her head on a beam, and carefully followed the blackbird into the shadowed corner.
Swift was standing on top of a wooden beam that was on the same height as Mioha's head, his chest pushed out proudly and his eyes glowing with happiness.
"What did you want to show me?", Mioha whispered when she stopped before the bird.
Swift did not reply. Instead, he simply hopped aside, looking like he was about to explode from excitement.
Mioha's eyes widened as she saw what Swift had concealed a moment before.
A nest. And Esma was sitting on it.
"No way", breathed Mioha, "Esma, did you-?"
The brown bird looked at her proudly and stood up, revealing three beautiful turquoise eggs laying in the soft moss beneath her.
"I can't believe it!", said Mioha excitedly, forgetting to speak in a low tone. "You're getting babies!"
Swift clicked his beak loudly, looking extremely proud of himself as he watched Esma sit back down on her eggs.
"When did this happen?"
"Two days ago", chirped Esma, fluffing up her wings to make herself more comfortable. "I wanted to stay with you while you were unconscious, I really did, but-"
"It's okay, Esma", said Mioha gently. She reached out and softly stroked Esma's side. "I'm so proud of you guys."
She grinned widely.
"This is so exciting! You're gonna be parents, and I'll be- I'll be-"
Mioha wrinkled her forehead.
"Gosh, that's a good question."
"You'll be our kids' godmother, of course", peeped Esma and traded a look with Swift.
The male blackbird nodded in agreement.
"Thank you", Mioha smiled. "Do you guys have already names picked out? Do you know if you're getting girls or boys?"
Esma looked amused by Mioha's curiosity.
"No, we haven't gotten to the names yet. And it will be two boys and one girl."
Now Swift looked positively gobsmacked.
"How do you know that?", he asked puzzled.
Esma gave Mioha a mischievous look and winked.
"Mothers know."
Mioha felt her eyes water.
Joy warmed her from the inside as she pictured Esma's growing family.
Her friend was going to be a mother!
"Now tell me."
Esma grew serious.
"What happened to your hair? And I know you saw something while you were unconscious. You looked like somebody had died when I visited you."
Mioha's smile faded as the memories of the past hours crashed back into her mind.
"Oh", she said evasively. "I'll tell you later, you know...not here."
She looked pointedly around the room, referring to the fact that anyone could walk in at any time.
Esma glared at her.
"I'm going to be a mother soon, so I'm developing some lying-detecting skills. You'd better tell me the truth later."
Mioha had to smile.
"I will. Don't worry."
"Will you guys shut up?", snapped an eagle owl and glowered at them. "I'm trying to sleep!"
"And I'm going to be a dad!", retorted Swift hotly. "We have important matters to discuss here!"
"Good for you", groaned the eagle owl and ruffled his feathers annoyed.
"If your fledglings scream all day, I swear I won't hesitate to eat them."
A brown ball of feathers shot by Mioha, faster than she could blink.
"Say that again!", screeched Esma enraged and pecked hardly with her beak against the eagle owl's head. "If you dare lay a talon on my babies, I will claw your eyes out, YOU PUFFED-UP MOUSE VOMITER!"
"Ouch! Calm down, lady!", hooted the eagle owl nervously. He ducked his head under Esma's attacks. "I was kidding."
Esma still looked furious and she gave the large bird one last hard peck with her beak before she fluttered back to her eggs.
Mioha traded a look with Swift.
He seemed impressed.
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Mioha returned to the room adjacent to the Hospital Wing, not wanting to risk getting the matron angry if she would be found outside of her bed.
She did not have to wait long for her friends to show up. The moment the clock tower tolled twelve times, the door burst open and Harry, Ginny, Hermione and Ron ran into the room.
"Mioha!", said Hermione breathlessly. She threw her arms around the Slytherin's neck. "Merlin, I was so worried!"
"I'm fine", said Mioha with a soft smile.
Hermione released her again and wiped tears out of her eyes.
"You were sleeping for four days, Mia! We thought the poison had hurt you more than Madam Pomfrey said-"
She swallowed.
Ginny leaned forward to give Mioha a hug as well.
"Boy, am I glad to see you awake", she said relieved and straightened up again. "Esma and Swift were here the first day, they wouldn't even leave when Madam Pomfrey threatened to hex them. But they disappeared later to who knows where..."
"We kept trying to visit you", said Harry, looking at her guiltily. "But Madam Pomfrey kicked us out."
Ron didn't say anything.
He just wrapped Mioha into a big bear hug and remained silent.
"Well, I'm alright now", said Mioha and smiled weakly. She returned Ron's hug, then let go of him again.
"Thanks Harry, for shoving the bezoar down my throat."
"You're welcome."
Harry had to laugh.
"Somehow, you sounded sarcastic."
"I mean it. I'm alive because of you."
Mioha opened her arms wide.
"How come I didn't get a hug from you yet? It will speed up my recovery."
Hermione, Ron and Ginny exchanged a relieved look at seeing the Slytherin acting normal again.
"So", said Mioha after the hugging round was over. "What did I miss?"
"We had to postpone a Canisclan session", said Ginny and sat down at Mioha's bed. Harry, Ron and Hermione conjured chairs and seated themselves in a circle around Mioha.
"We tried it without you at first, but...well, since neither of us are that experienced yet, we thought it best to wait until you were back on your feet. And that gives everyone time to practice."
"Zacharias will get whipped in his behind one day", said Ron, cracking his knuckles threateningly. "That water whip of his really hurts."
Mioha snorted at that.
"Levinia, Astoria, Ethel and Erica tried visiting you", Hermione continued. "But Madam Pomfrey couldn't get your wings to stay invisible, so she told them you were in a fragile state and you needed peace and quiet."
Mioha felt her heart twist guiltily at the thought of causing more worry to her friends.
"Many other Canisclan members tried to see you too", said Harry. "Always in twos and threes. Madam Pomfrey flipped out after explaining to the fourth group you needed to be alone."
Did Draco come?, Mioha desperately wanted to ask.
She didn't.
"And Pansy mysteriously lost a tooth yesterday", added Ginny, her eyes turning cold. "A knight's amor decided to take a stroll into her face."
"Really?", said Mioha surprised. "How did that- oh, wait, I get it. That was you."
Ginny gave her a toothy grin.
"She almost killed one of my besties. I couldn't let that go."
Ron growled through his teeth.
"Still can't believe it", he said angrily. "If Harry hadn't-"
"Ron", Mioha stopped him and gave him a smile. "I'm alright."
She took a deep breath.
"But there is something I need to tell you guys."
"Okay. Shoot."
Hermione crossed her legs curiously.
"Well, first of all..."
Mioha reached up and broke the charm on her hair.
Four gasps were heard at the same time.
"Merlin!", exclaimed Ron in panic. "You've aged!"
Mioha had to laugh.
"No, my hair just turned white because my body was trying to heal itself from the poison."
Harry and Ginny traded a confused look.
"Does this mean you're going to have to place charms on your wings and your head?", asked Harry.
Mioha nodded.
"I like it", stated Ginny. "It's cool. And it suits you better. Your normal hair color is white anyway."
"In her real form, she has a tail too, but thank Merlin that didn't appear", retorted Hermione.
Mioha had to smile sadly.
"My white hair isn't actually the... thing I wanted to tell you about."
Harry's face grew serious as he noticed Mioha's expression.
"What's the matter? You're acting all weird."
Mioha drew a deep breath and lowered her gaze, watching her hands play with the blanket.
"While I was...asleep, I met my sister. Siya."
"What? Seriously?"
Hermione's eyes widened in realization.
"You were on the brink of death, weren't you? That's why she was able to contact you."
Mioha nodded.
Ron paled.
"You were dead", he stammered. "You could have stayed dead- Merlin..."
He ran a hand through his hair.
"What did she say?", asked Ginny curiously. "Did she tell you more about your Silverwing past?"
"Sort of", Mioha said vaguely. Her stomach formed a knot as she realized she couldn't put this off forever. "I know now what happened to the Titans."
"That's great!", Hermione exclaimed excitedly. She opened her mouth, looking like a flood of questions was about to erupt out of her, but Harry nudged her silently.
"She...showed me that when one Titan...gets stuck in a ...form that's not its natural one, all the others suffer a similar fate. That is why all Titans are trapped in their earthly forms."
Mioha paused, hoping that they would get the hint.
"Okay...I thought we knew this already", said Ginny confused. "There is something wrong with Orlai and it's affecting the other five."
Mioha's knuckles turned white from clenching the bed cover.
"Eight years ago, the Titans vanished", she said hoarsely, her eyes fixed on her hands.
"And eight years ago, Death Eaters attacked my herd...and I- became a human."
Her heart was thumping so loudly in her chest, she felt like she would faint any second now.
Mioha slowly lifted her eyes, her blood roaring loudly in her ears.
Ron looked as if he had no idea what Mioha was trying to say.
Ginny and Harry exchanged a look, one that obviously showed they thought Mioha was still confused from the poison.
But Hermione ... looked thoughtful. Her eyes locked with Mioha's, then wandered up to the ghostly white hair...and the Gryffindor jumped up in shock. Her chair clattered onto the floor.
"You're- you're-", Hermione stammered with a white face, pointing at Mioha with her finger. "Guys, she's a-"
"What's the matter?", asked Ron puzzled and stood up. "What are you pointing at Mioha for?"
"Don't you see?", said Hermione shrilly, her hand shaking. "Why didn't we think of this before? Exactly when Mioha turned into a human, all Titans disappeared. That can't be a coincidence!"
Mioha looked nervously at Hermione, but remained silent.
She'd known the Gryffindor would figure it out first.
"She's a Titan!"
Ginny, Ron and Harry stared baffled at Hermione. For a moment, they looked as if they would burst out laughing. But then, every word Hermione had said sunk in. And it made sense.
The four Gryffindors stared in silence at the white-haired Slytherin, who could only glance out the window and hope Esma would arrive to provide some sort of distraction.