On the sixth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me... Title: Six Flights of Fancy Author:lee_west Fandom: Harry Potter Word Count: 100 Characters: Buckbeak, Thestral, Dragons, Firebolt, Motorbike, Fawkes Challenge: Sixth Day of Christmas: Six Flights of Fancy Rating: PG Disclaimer: Me? Own any of this? Nah. I'm neither English nor rich.
Thanks to my friend Ceria for the beta.
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1. Buckbeak
The trip is long and tiring, but the two fugitives want to put as much distance from Britain as possible. United in the same goal, they exert themselves, the beast flapping its wings and the man on its back unswervingly directing the way to safety.
Escaping from death – and a fate worse than death – creates a bond between them. Man and beast will eventually make the return trip; the beast will be rewarded with food and attention. It knows the man won't leave it alone any more and it is satisfied like that.
Until the day the man doesn't return.
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2. Thestrals
It should be just like mounting a horse, they tell themselves. But the difference is that, with a horse, you can see it. It's easier for the ones who can actually visualize what they are riding.
But the price for seeing is too high. Scary as it is to go to London on something invisible, it's worse to have felt the shock of seeing death. Blindly groping a skeletal body, they soar in the sky, on the way to an important mission.
They'll return from it by other means, but they would all be able to see their mounts then.
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3. Dragons Dragons are his favorite beasts, but he knows they demand respect. He's used to being around them and is considered one of the best dragon handlers in Romania.
It requires years of practice to be able to approach a dragon to treat it or to rescue an egg that's in danger of being smashed. He has plenty of scars and burns to prove it. He's proud to say that he can get the closest to a dragon than anyone else he knows.
Except for his brother and his friends: they've accomplished what Charlie never could, to actually ride a dragon.
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4. Firebolt
On his Firebolt, Harry feels at the top of the world. It has helped him win Quidditch games, defeat a dragon in the Triwizard Tournament and has been the object of much envy by other witches and wizards. And it is a special memory from his godfather, one he'll always cherish.
Riding it makes him feel invincible: born with a talent for flying, Harry is one with his Firebolt. He will never want another broom, no matter how fast and modern it might be.
It is then with horror that he sees it falling into the void, forever lost for him.
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5. The Bike
It started as a joke: Sirius wanted something that would irritate his parents, and nothing better than a Muggle artifact. But he fell in love with the idea of a flying motorcycle, and, through hard work, managed to create a one-of-a-kind machine.
In Azkaban he remembers the bike and hopes it has taken Harry to safety.
From the place behind the Veil, he watches as his loyal bike once more comes to the rescue of his godson. His eyes follow its fall to the ground, knowing that the machine will do its best to protect Harry, to the very end.
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6. Fawkes
Help will always come to those who need it at Hogwarts. The phoenix knows that it is a mission he must fulfill, no matter how dangerous or difficult. Arriving at the most crucial moment, it sheds a tear and rids the boy's body of the basilisk's venom.
It has to stretch its strength to an almost abnormal level, but it manages to bring the four people to safety, flying high through the tunnel from the chamber of secrets, leaving behind more than a dead monster.
The most important thing in the chamber now is a useless piece of Voldemort's soul.