A/N - Hello everyone! Here is the first chapter of the sequel to "Not Over You". If you haven't read that story, I suggest that you do or you will probably be pretty confused. I've listed this as romance/drama, but there will also be some angst, especially in the beginning. As before, my OC Catherine will be the center of the story, so if OC's aren't your thing, this may not be the story for you. :) Unfortunately, my life has been extremely crazy for the last two months and I am not as far ahead on this story as I was on the last, so updates will only be once a week for now, on Tuesdays. Timeline will follow canon from GoF and OoTP for now, although there may be a few AU storylines here and there. Hagrid makes an appearance in this chapter and I've tried to have him speak as he does in canon, so if it's not quite right, sorry about that! Enjoy and please let me know what you think!

Chapter 1

Another Letter

9 July 1994

"Mum, do you know where my trainers are?" Rory called from his room.

"They're next to the couch in the lounge where you took them off last night," Catherine called back, rolling her eyes. Seconds later, she heard the pounding of feet on the stairs and Rory skidded into the room.

"Thanks Mum," he said, cheeky grin on his face, then turned and rushed out just as quickly. She shook her head, chuckling a bit at her son's antics. At nearly 10 years old, Rory certainly kept things interesting.

Catherine glanced out the kitchen window, her eyes drawn to the skies just as they always were. It had been over a month since Sirius left and while she hadn't heard anything from him as of yet, she was always hopeful. However, the only owls that ever arrived were those bringing the Prophet or letters from Ellie's friends.

Her heart twinged as she thought of their night in the park, before his escape from the country. Her hand came up and grasped her locket, which she had taken to wearing in plain sight when she was at home. Her children had asked her about it and after a bit of hesitation, she had finally told them that it had been given to her by someone who was very special to her. The younger two had shrugged and asked no more questions, going off to play almost immediately, but not so with Ellie. Her eldest daughter's eyes had narrowed and she had asked numerous questions, although Catherine had been relatively vague in her answers. She would explain everything to Ellie eventually, but not until she knew where things stood herself.

The child in question entered the room, reading a book while she walked. Catherine shook her head in amusement. Tess and Ethan had been lending Ellie all kinds of wizarding children's books over the summer and Ellie had been devouring them as quickly as they came. She'd shared a few with Rory, although he was much less interested in reading than she was. Catherine had read some to Miranda, however, who seemed just as taken with the wizard version of fairy tales as her sister was. Ellie didn't even look up from the book as she opened the cupboard and pulled out a snack before turning and leaving the kitchen.

"Mum, we're going to be late," Rory called. Catherine glanced at the clock and walked into the lounge. Rory was hopping from foot to foot in excitement in front of the fireplace. She stopped and crossed her arms in front of her, studying her middle child.

"Rory, do calm down, you'll jump right through the floor," she said, biting her lip to keep from smirking.

"Mu-um, come on, we need to go," Rory insisted.

"We've got ten minutes yet and it only takes seconds to floo," she reminded him.

"Yeah, but Owen wants to show me something before we leave," Rory explained. "And he said that he'd give me a bunch of his old Quidditch magazines so that I can study up for next year." Rory wouldn't start at Hogwarts for another full year, but he was determined to make his house Quidditch team when he did. When Catherine informed him that first-years could not bring brooms to school, nor did they get put on their house teams, Rory defiantly reminded her of Harry Potter. Who was not only the youngest Seeker in a century, but was also allowed his own broom in his first year and had grown up with muggles, Rory had pointed out. Meaning, he had never even heard of Quidditch before starting at Hogwarts. Catherine had just shook her head and smiled.

"Oh, all right then," Catherine said indulgently. She moved to the window which was open to the back garden. "Mum, we're leaving. I'll be back shortly," she called to her mother who was currently weeding the flower beds. Catherine had offered to do it with magic, but her mother had declined, saying that she liked to work with the plants herself.

"All right dear," her mother replied. "Tell Rory to have fun." Turning back to the room, Catherine saw that Rory already had the floo powder in hand and she nodded to him as he stepped in and called out for Myra and Ian's house. Catherine quickly followed and as she arrived, just caught a glimpse of Rory and Owen as they tore from the room. They nearly knocked Myra over as they ran through, who had walked into the room wiping her hands on a dish towel.

"Just a bit excited then, is he?" Myra asked and Catherine snorted.

"Understatement of the century, I'd say," Catherine replied and Myra laughed. The two women walked into the kitchen and were soon joined by Ian. He walked over and kissed Catherine on the cheek, then grabbed his wife and kissed her soundly on the lips.

"Ian," Myra said her face reddening as he released her. Catherine stifled a giggle.

"What?" he said, feigning innocence. "A man's got to fortify himself before a Quidditch match. Never know how long these things might go on for you know." He waggled his eyebrows at her and Myra swatted him with her towel. Catherine gave up trying to hold in her laughter.

"Thank you for doing this Ian," Catherine said, once she'd gathered herself. "Rory is over the moon with excitement." Ian had gotten tickets to the Montrose Magpies and Puddlemere United match and had invited Rory to go along with his two boys.

"So I concluded with all the whoops and pounding of feet I heard a few minutes ago," he chuckled. "I was serious about not knowing how long the match would last though. If it gets too late, we'll just keep Rory here for the night. He can borrow pajamas from Owen."

"All right," Catherine agreed. Ian called up the stairs and the three boys came rushing down moments later. To Catherine it sounded as if a herd of elephants were in the house. After reminding Rory more than once to behave, the group finally left.

"Can you stay for a bit?" Myra asked as she and Catherine walked back into the house.

"For a few minutes, I suppose," Catherine agreed with a smile.

"Lemonade?" Myra asked when they had reached the kitchen.

"Sure," Catherine replied, sitting down at the table. Myra poured the glasses and brought them over.

"Where are the girls?" Catherine asked.

"With my parents," Myra answered. "They take them for a few days every summer. My mum likes to do things with them separately, give them all their own time, you know? She takes the boys one at a time and tried that with the girls once they were about 4, but they didn't want anything to do with it. So she takes them together."

"What a wonderful idea," Catherine said, taking a sip of her lemonade. "So you're all alone today then. Whatever will you do with yourself?" A wide grin split Myra's face and soon the two were laughing together.

"I'm sure I'll think of something," Myra replied. "Now, have you heard anything?" Catherine shook her head, her stomach flipping a bit. She had told Myra everything that had happened with Sirius' escape and their interlude in the park. Her friend no longer thought him guilty.

"I'm sorry Catherine," Myra said, putting a hand to Catherine's arm. "I'm sure he'll contact you as soon as he can. Remus hasn't heard anything either?"

"No," Catherine said. "Although he told me that he doesn't expect to. Everyone knew that he and Sirius were friends. And there are many that assume that Remus helped Sirius escape, if not from Azkaban then from Hogwarts surely. Never mind the inconvenient fact that he was a werewolf at the time." She rolled her eyes. "He suspects that the Ministry might be watching his house and any subsequent mail he might receive." Myra shook her head in disgust.

"As if he didn't have enough troubles," Myra said. "Has he been able to find any work, then?"

"Not yet, but I've been talking to my manager at Flourish and Blotts. They offer some tutoring services during the summers for students, as well as during the school year for children who are either home-schooled or not yet old enough for Hogwarts," Catherine explained. "It would be perfect for Remus. He could schedule around the moon and you know what a good teacher he is. Mr. Follensbee knows a few families that wouldn't have a problem with Remus' condition."

"I do hope it works out," Myra said sincerely.

"Me too," Catherine agreed. The two sat and drank their lemonade and chatted for a few more minutes. "I should probably get back," Catherine finally said. "Just floo when the boys are back."

Catherine flooed back to her own house and found her mother and eldest daughter exactly where she'd left them. Miranda had joined her grandmother in the garden and was currently helping her pull weeds. Catherine walked out to join them when something caught her eye.

Looking up, she saw a very large, very colorful bird winging its way toward her. Her brow furrowed in confusion as the bird got closer and Miranda and Jane looked up in wonder. The bird came in for a landing on the back of one of the chairs that sat on the patio, flapping its wings a few times to keep its balance. Once it had landed safely, it held out its leg to Catherine. Catherine startled a bit, then noticed the piece of parchment attached the bird's leg.

"Catherine, what on earth?" her mother asked as Catherine untied the scroll. She unrolled it slightly and her breath caught in her throat as she recognized Sirius' handwriting. She looked at her mother, her hand trembling a bit and Jane seemed to realize who the letter was from.

"What kind of bird is that Mummy?" Miranda asked, walking towards her mother. Catherine glanced at her daughter and then at the bird trying to make sense of it. She shook her head a bit to clear it and smiled down at Miranda.

"I'm not sure sweetheart, but he's very pretty isn't he?" Catherine replied. Miranda reached out slowly and when the bird didn't object, she gently rubbed her fingers on the top of his head.

"Oh, he's very soft," she said quietly, still stroking the bird. The bird seemed to be enjoying her attentions and trilled a bit pushing his head into her fingers. Before Catherine even realized what was happening, the bird had hopped onto Miranda's shoulder and was rubbing his head against hers. Miranda giggled.

"That tickles," she laughed and the bird nipped her affectionately on the ear.

"Well, he seems to rather like you," Catherine said smiling. "Why don't you take him inside and see if he wants anything to drink or eat."

"Okay Mummy," Miranda said happily and began chattering to the bird as she walked into the house with him.

"It's from Sirius then," Jane said quietly once Miranda had disappeared. Catherine nodded. "Why don't you go up to your room and read it. I'll keep the girls occupied."

"Thanks Mum," Catherine said gratefully. "And don't let the bird leave. I'm sure I'll want to reply."

Catherine made her way quickly to her room, not opening the letter fully until her door was locked and she had silenced the room. She sat down on her bed and slowly unrolled the parchment.

C,

I wanted to let you know that my companion and I have arrived safely. We are currently enjoying all that the beaches and coast have to offer and I can't tell you how nice it is to feel the sun on my face. I found the gift that you left in my bag and both kinds have come in rather handy, so I thank you for that, although you know that you shouldn't have.

Catherine smirked at Sirius' mention of the money she had hidden in his knapsack. She knew that he would feel the way he did, but was glad she had given it to him all the same. And she was happy that he had gone somewhere warm. That explained the bird at any rate.

I have been in touch with my young friend as well and he seems to be doing well. Please keep an eye on our old friend for me. He is much too stubborn for his own good.

She snorted. If Sirius calling Remus stubborn wasn't the pot calling the kettle black, she didn't know what was. And his young friend must surely be Harry. Catherine would be sure to keep an eye on him once school started again.

I do not get much news here so I do not know if anything important has happened. I am unsure when I will be returning, as you know that is entirely dependent on someone else. Which brings me to the other point of this letter.

I know what you said when last we met, but I cannot hold you to your promise to wait. I don't want you to waste your life on someone like me who may never be able to be a real part of it. You deserve more than that. As do your children. As much as it hurts me to say this, please don't wait for me. I want you to live your life.

I'm sorry.

Love,

S

Catherine stared at the last paragraph of the letter, reading it again and again. With every read, her anger mounted. She dropped the letter to the bed and got up, stalking around her room, her hands in fists by her sides.

"That bloody, bloody, stubborn, man!" she exclaimed as she made another pass across her room. "What did I tell him in the park? To stop making decisions for me and now here he is, doing it again!" She continued to pace and mutter angrily under her breath until there was a knock at the door.

"Catherine," her mother called out. "Is everything all right?"

"Yes, Mum," Catherine replied, forgetting that she had set the silencing charm on her room. She could hear her mother, but her mother wouldn't be able to hear Catherine.

"Catherine?" her mother called again and Catherine sighed, reaching for her wand and cancelling the charm. She unlocked the door with magic as well and her mother peeked in as the door opened slightly.

"I'm sorry," she said as she saw the expression on Catherine's face. "It's just it sounded as if you were stomping though the floor up here."

"It's fine Mum, come in," Catherine said, sitting down on the end of her bed. She reached back and pulled the letter towards her and gave it to her mother. Her mother read silently, her eyebrows rising when she came to the last paragraph. The surest way to get Catherine to do something was to tell her not to.

"I assume it's this last that's got you in such a state?" her mother queried. Catherine glanced up at her mother, lips in a tight line.

"He's so bloody stubborn," Catherine fumed. Jane chuckled thinking of the irony of that statement coming from her daughter. "It's not funny!"

"I know dear, I'm sorry," Jane apologized. "Well I suppose you're just going to have to go and knock some sense into him."

"Go there?" Catherine said surprised. "I don't even know where he is."

"Well, it's obviously somewhere tropical," Jane said. "The bird was enough clue to that, but he mentions beaches and the coast here as well. You know he wouldn't stay in the UK and I doubt he's on the continent either. You would have had a letter from him sooner if that was the case, not to mention the bird. So where else does that leave?"

"South America," Catherine replied immediately. "Or somewhere in Africa."

"Well, there you are then," Jane said with a smile. "You've got your start."

"Which is about all I have given the size of both South America and Africa," Catherine said shaking her head.

"Oh come now, Catherine," her mother admonished. "Where are your detective skills?" Jane glanced through the letter again. "Look, it says that he was grateful for both kinds of money that you put in his bag," she continued. "Meaning he's probably near to both wizarding and muggle areas." Catherine got up and looked at the letter over her mother's shoulder.

"And it says he doesn't get much news, so it could be rather remote, but the coast normally isn't that," Catherine said, her eyes narrowing in thought. "I know there are some wizarding communities that keep to themselves. They don't have a lot of contact with the mainstream wizarding or muggle worlds. I don't know where they are exactly though."

"I suggest you talk to Remus about this," Jane said, rolling up the letter and handing it back to Catherine. "He would probably know where those communities are and if you can figure out where exactly the bird comes from," she trailed off and Catherine threw her arms around her neck.

"Mum, you're brilliant!" Catherine exclaimed and her mother laughed a bit as she patted her daughter on the back.

"Well thank you, but I'm afraid I'm not sure why you're saying that," Jane said with a smile.

"The bird," Catherine said. "If I find out where it's from I can almost surely find Sirius." She stopped and pursed her lips. "Hagrid! Hagrid knows all there is to know about magical creatures. I'm sure he'll know. I've got to go floo Remus." Catherine turned and hurried out of the room, then turned back and hugged her mother again, kissing her on the cheek.

"Thanks Mum," she said and then went back to the hall, hurrying down the stairs. Jane smiled and shook her head as she watched her go.

Moments later Catherine had her head stuck in the fire, calling for Remus' house. He came into view almost immediately after the grates had stopped whirling.

"Catherine," he greeted her.

"Can I come though?" she asked. "I've got something to show you."

"Of course," he said stepping back and Catherine pulled her head from the fire just long enough to step through.

"I got a letter today," she said, handing it over to Remus. Remus unrolled the parchment and read it quickly. He frowned and shook his head at the last paragraph as well.

"I'm sorry, Catherine," he began, but Catherine held up a hand to interrupt him.

"That doesn't matter," she said. "I'm here to talk to you about something else." Catherine explained what she and her mother had figured out from the letter and asked Remus if he was aware of any hidden communities. Remus brought a hand to his chin and rubbed in thoughtfully.

"You know, there is one off the coast of Africa," he said. "It's on a small island there, presumed uninhabitable by muggles. I only know about it through my previous contact with the werewolf community. Seems that it's a hideout of sorts for all kinds of disreputable people and creatures. But it's private and no one asks questions." Catherine twisted a lock of hair around her fingers, not wanting to imagine Sirius in such a place. Nor did she relish trying to find her own way there if it came to that.

"But, it seems as if Sirius has been using the muggle money that I gave him as well," she said. "And you said there aren't any muggles on the island."

"True, but he could have used the pounds on his journey," Remus pointed out. Catherine nodded.

"Any others?" she asked.

"Well, I know there are a couple in South America as well. Not hideouts like the one in Africa, these are communities that have isolated themselves of their own accord. They were formed by purebloods that broke away from mainstream society when they felt it was getting too 'progressive'. They don't like outsiders much, but Sirius would be all right given he's a pureblood. And they are very near to resorts muggles frequent," Remus finished.

"Could Buckbeak have made it to South America?" Catherine asked. "It's quite a long flight over a lot of water." Remus turned and went into the spare bedroom which he used as a study, coming back with a map. He unrolled it on the kitchen table and Catherine saw that it was a world atlas.

"If they went from this very western edge of Africa to the eastern tip of Brazil," Remus pointed out. "He might have made it, if he had been rested for a few days. Hagrid would know better than I of course."

"Yes, I'll need to talk to him actually," Catherine said, explaining her plan of identifying the tropical bird that had brought Sirius' letter.

"You'll need to come up with some kind of cover story," Remus warned. "Hagrid would never betray anyone on purpose, but he does have a tendency to sometimes let things slip in conversation that he shouldn't. And besides, he still thinks Sirius is guilty and Hagrid is awfully protective of Harry." Catherine worried her lip between her teeth for a few moments while she thought.

"Miranda," she suddenly exclaimed.

"What about her?" Remus asked in confusion.

"She loves animals," Catherine replied. "And she has been looking at a book that Tess gave to Ellie to read over the summer, all about magical creatures. She's been fascinated by it. I can tell Hagrid that Miranda had some questions." Catherine began to pace back and forth across the small space of the cottage, her plan unfolding as she did so.

"I was going to take the bird with me to ask him about it, but I think a picture might be better. I can tell him Miranda found it in a book somewhere," Catherine mused. "That way I can send a reply to Sirius and still ask Hagrid about the bird and Buckbeak. And before you ask, no I'm not going to tell Sirius that I plan on coming to visit. But I'm not going to let him get away with what he said either." Remus chuckled at the murderous expression on her face.

"I'd say my old friend has his work cut out for him," Remus said. Catherine rolled her eyes and Remus went back into the study and came out with a rather large old book. He set it on the table and began flipping through pages.

"Ah here they are," Remus said. "One in Brazil and the other in Peru." He turned the book toward Catherine so she could read the small paragraphs about the two primitive wizarding communities. "You do realize that there could be others," Remus warned. "These are just the ones that we know about. Wizards have a knack for keeping themselves hidden if they want to."

"True, but if you don't know about any others, then Sirius probably didn't either," she said. "And the chances of him stumbling onto one of them are rather slim, don't you think? As you said, they do have a knack for keeping themselves hidden." Remus nodded his head in capitulation.

"I'm betting on Brazil," Catherine continued. "Getting that far would have already been quite the feat for Buckbeak. If Sirius found somewhere there to hide, I don't think he would have gone all the way to Peru. Still, I'll check with Hagrid on the bird."

"All right," Remus agreed. "Come and talk with me once you've spoken to Hagrid, though." He looked at her sternly.

"Of course," Catherine said. "You don't think I'd run right off after him, do you?"

"Where Sirius is concerned, I'm not quite sure what you'd do," Remus replied with a chuckle. Catherine slapped him playfully on the arm.

"Don't be a prat," she said.

"Oh, by the way, I got a very interesting owl from a Mr. Follensbee of Flourish and Blotts," Remus said changing the subject. "Seems that someone recommended me for a tutoring position."

"Oh really?" Catherine replied, feigning innocence. "I wonder who that could be."

"Yes, I do wonder," Remus said, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "Apparently he is well-informed of my current condition, and doesn't think that should be an issue."

"Well, finally someone with some sense," Catherine sniffed.

"Yes, quite," Remus returned, finally smiling at her. "I suppose I should say thank you."

"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about Remus," Catherine answered. She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing, but failed miserably after Remus continued to stare at her. The two broke into quiet laughter and Remus finally hugged her and kissed her cheek.

"Thank you," he said, smiling genuinely.

"You're welcome," Catherine replied with a smile of her own. "I couldn't think of anyone more suited to the job. All right, well, I'd best be off if I want to write Sirius back and visit Hagrid today." She waved good-bye and flooed back to her house to put her plan into action.

Late that afternoon, Catherine was walking up the lane from Hogsmeade to the Hogwarts grounds, having chosen to floo to the Three Broomsticks instead of Madame Pomfrey's office. She preferred to avoid any questions if she could, although the medi-witch might very well not have even been there given it was the summer holiday. Still, Catherine would have had to walk through most of the castle and the chances of meeting someone else on the staff would have been rather high.

She had sent Maia off with a note to Hagrid almost immediately after returning from Remus' so that the groundskeeper would know to expect her. Catherine had heard nothing from Rory or Myra, so she assumed the match was still going on. Her mother was home in any case, should Rory happen to return while she was gone. Catherine had written a letter to Sirius after she had taken pictures of the tropical bird telling him he was being ridiculous in every way she knew how to say it. She had sent the bird on shortly after that and then gone and gotten the pictures developed that she had taken. Holding two in her hand, she reached the gates of Hogwarts, smiling as she saw Hagrid approaching from the other side.

"Catherine, good ter see yeh," he said as he opened the gates to allow her through. "How's them kids of yers?"

"Very well, thank you Hagrid," Catherine replied as she stepped through the gates and waited while he closed them again. "Rory is at a quidditch match today with the Cauldwell boys actually."

"Great sport, quidditch," Hagrid said as the two began to walk towards his hut. "Now what can I do fer yeh? Yer letter said somethin' abou' a bird?"

"Well, Miranda, my youngest, is very interested in animals of all kinds," Catherine explained. "She's been reading a book that a friend of Ellie's lent her about magical creatures and she had some questions. One about hippogriffs and the other about this bird." Catherine handed them the pictures just as they reached his hut. Hagrid stopped and looked at the two pictures, one of the entire bird and the other a close-up of his face and head plumage. His brow furrowed a bit and then he looked off into the distance in thought.

"Come on in, I got ter check somethin'," he finally said, opening the door and ushering Catherine inside. He went to a bookshelf and pulled down a large tome, flipping through the pages. Shaking his head and muttering to himself, he put it back and then pulled down another. He flipped through quickly then stopped and went back a few pages, then read for a moment.

"Ah, there it is," he said, carrying the book over to Catherine. He gestured to a chair, then set the book down in front of her. Hagrid pointed to a paragraph and Catherine read it silently.

"The muggles call it a Spix's Macaw, think there's not many o' them lef'," Hagrid said once she'd finished. "There's plenty of 'em, jus' good at hidin' they are,' bein' magical birds and all. Don't show themselves ter muggles much. They use 'em fer post down in South America, Brazil mostly. Where'd yeh find these pictures of one?"

"In a book in the muggle library actually," Catherine said airily, feeling badly that she wasn't telling Hagrid the truth. "Ellie had been reading the book with Miranda and thought that it sounded like a bird they'd talked about there, so I thought I'd ask you to make sure." Hagrid looked at her curiously for a moment, then shrugged.

"Yeh said somethin' abou' hippogriffs too," he reminded her.

"Oh yes, Miranda has been fascinated by them," Catherine said. At least this much was true. Miranda had been rather captivated by the chapter on hippogriffs in the book she had been reading. This seemed enough for Hagrid as he began to expound on the wonderful qualities of hippogriffs. Catherine listened politely, although most of the information she already knew. When he had finally finished she asked the question that she most wanted the answer to.

"How far do you think a hippogriff could fly without stopping?" she asked.

"Oh well, it depens on the animal o' course," Hagrid said. "Some of 'em can fly further than others. But a real strong one, like my Beaky was," Hagrid sniffed a bit at the mention of the escapee, "he could prob'ly go oh, twelve hours without stoppin'. Mebbe more."

"How many miles do you think?" Catherine asked.

"Oh well, tha's, hmm," Hagrid rubbed his beard. "Never really thought about it tha' way before."

"Could he make it from Hogwarts to London?" Catherine asked.

"Oh sure, easy," Hagrid said.

"Across the channel to France?"

"From here?" he asked. Catherine nodded. "Hm, yeah I'd say he could do tha'."

"What about from say, Africa to the coast of Brazil?" she asked. Hagrid studied her for a moment.

"Tha's awful specific," he said slowly. "Do you know sumthin' abou' where Beaky's got to?"

"No, just curious is all," Catherine replied, but was unable to meet his eyes.

"Righ'," Hagrid said, clearly not convinced. "I dunno, I think tha's a bit much, even fer Beaky." Catherine nodded, wondering if she'd been wrong. There was still the bird though. Perhaps they'd gotten there some other way or there was an island or two that they'd been able to land on and rest. She knew Ascension Island was there, but given that it was further south from the western most part of Africa, it didn't really cut much off the trip. But there was a possibility that there were smaller, uninhabited islands they could have landed on. Regardless, there was still the bird, which most definitely had come from Brazil.

"Well, I think you've answered all my questions," Catherine said with a smile. "Thank you Hagrid."

"Will yeh stay fer tea?" he asked.

"I'm sorry, I've got to get back," Catherine replied apologetically. "Rory should be home soon. Another time though?"

"O' course," Hagrid agreed. He handed the pictures back to Catherine and she stood. The two made their way back to the gates of the school.

"Thank you again, Hagrid," Catherine said as he opened the gate for her. "I do appreciate it."

"Yer welcome. Be sure to give Beaky my best when you see 'im," he said with a wink, as he shut the gate behind her. Catherine stood rooted to the spot as Hagrid turned and walked back towards his hut. She shook her head and chuckled, then turned towards Hogsmeade and the Three Broomsticks.

A/N2 - There really is a bird called the Spix's Macaw which does hail from Brazil. It is considered possibly extinct in the wild which is why I chose to make it a magical bird. :)