Hera

{Chapter Thirty-One}

Never in her life, did Hera ever think she'd be running through the dense forest, ducking beneath low-hanging branches and roots that jutted out of the ground. The smell of smoke assaulted her nose, as terrified screams broke through the air.

The hard thumping of her heart in her chest felt as though it may breakout of its confines.

I can't get caught. DO NOT GET CAUGHT. Cassiopeia-Hera repeated in her head as she desperately tried to find a place to hide.

Sliding her slim body in between the crevices of two uprooted trees, she finally had the chance to breathe. Between her teeth, she held a wand -- it was vital she kept it with her until the right time.

Holding her breath, multiple footsteps rushed past the trees she hid between, barely noticing her as they ran away, further from the campsite. The young girl could feel the sweat trickle down her brow.

Slowly, Hera emerged from her hiding spot, making sure it was clear for her to run without being spotted. It was vital that she wouldn't be caught, and the fact that she was finally on her own, assigned her task, anxiety had plagued her entire being. She was lucky enough to have the adrenaline coursing through her veins as she hurried, following the very scent she was tasked to follow.

"Follow your instincts." Repeated Yvonne's voice as Hera trudged through the forest, doing her best to avoid all kinds of contact.

She stopped.

The scent was feint, making it hard for her to identify which direction she had to go to and the scent of smoke in the atmosphere made it even harder for her. Looking from side to side, her eyes scanned the line of trees that surrounded her, searching for any clues that could help her.

There!

Sprinting in the direction of the scent, she could feel the adrenaline pumping in her veins. Hera could hear their voices, talking so loud that it almost hurt her sensitive hearing.

After making sure she was a good enough distance away from them, she loosened the grip that her jaws had on the wand, she allowed it to fall to the ground beside her as she hid in the bushes.

With her eyes closed, she did her best to steady the harsh beating of her heart to calm herself. Steadying her breathing patterns, she followed the very same techniques Yvonne taught her.

In.
Out.
In.
Out.

She could feel the strands of fur retracting back into her epidermis as her body contorted back into her human skeletal structure. The long snout soon formed into a long strong nose, one that she'd inherited from her father. Claws shrunk back, withdrawing into the skin and forming the familiar nail beds which was now caked in dirt.

Dark curls, no longer straightened by magical potions, messily framed her sharp cheekbones. She brushed away the stray strands of hair as her bones snapped into place.

Hera was yet to get used to the transfiguration from animal to human and from human to animal. Her body ached as she used the tree beside her for support.

"Merlin's gallbladder." She mumbled under her breath as she tried to ignore the pain that seared through her body.

Her brown eyes looked down to the wand that stared back at her mockingly, she could almost see Yvonne's reaction on the wand itself. "Pathetic, you can't even handle a transformation."

Rolling her eyes, she grabbed the wand between her thin fingers and tried her best to get close enough to the clearing without being caught.

"--I mean, how do they expect to get away with it." Hera could hear Hermione's prudish voice as she staggered through the bushes. She rolled her eyes once more.

Cursing under her breath, she paused - knowing for sure that the trio had heard her. They kept quiet and Hera still needed to get closer to them. Pulling up the hood of her cloak over her head, she walked behind a tree to conceal herself.

"Hello?" Came the bespectacled boy's voice.

She didn't answer, but she could hear him shuffling up to his feet.

"Who's there?"

Trust Harry Potter to be this oblivious. Since she didn't answer the first time, obviously she wouldn't answer on the second. She shook her head and took a deep breath, holding the wand tightly in her left hand.

Looking up to the sky, she could barely see any of the stars that spilled across the nightsky. It was dark, and she needed it to be that way. Lifting her arm high into the sky, with the wand pointed.

Her heart was no longer beating irregularly in her ribcage, as her breath steadied. She could feel herself cool down, as her eyes stared into the dark sky.

With a loud and strong voice, she shouted out. "MORSMORDRE!"

A vast, green, and glittering erupted into the sky, far above her, through the branches of the trees and above the canopy of trees that had hovered above her.

It took a few moments for her to deciper what exactly was being formed in the sky, before finally...her breath caught in her throat as she watched with wide eyes.

A collosal skull made of emerald stars with a serpent slithering out of its mouth filled the night sky for all the world to see. Illuminating the surrounding trees with its bright green hue.

The Mark of the Dark Lord, calling all of his servants to their rightful place by his side.

Hera couldn't believe what she had just done as a panicked gasp left her mouth. Her hands shook, allowing the wand to fall to the ground.

Finally, her job was done.

She couldn't stay there any longer. Hera needed to hide.Allowing her body to reform once again, Hera bolted from the scene, running as far as she could from the clearing.

Allowing her the pads of her feet to hurry through the forest, Hera knew exactly where to go. Her body was much more smaller and agile than her normal form, allowing for her to get to her destination much more faster.

It didn't take long for her to finally reach the end of the forest where the familiar scent reached her nose.

Yvonne.

Not taking anymore time, Hera stopped behind a tree to transfiguration from animal to human once again. With the adrenaline pumping I her veins, it made the process go faster than expected, but it still pained nonetheless.

Emerging from the line of trees, the young girl held her cloak around her body tightly as she approached the woman who stared at her with a cold stare.

There was no telling in what she thought.

"You completed your task." Yvonne commented.

Hera nodded.

"Good job, Cassiopeia." Her voice was cold, yet it surprised Hera. This was the very first time she'd heard anything positive about her come from the older witch's mouth.

But Yvonne spared no time, as she offered the younger girl her hand. It was time they finally left. Taking her hand, Hera took in a deep breath, bracing herself.

And soon enough, the two witched disappeared into thin air.