Finally, the group arrives at the edge of a clearing, where there are two carved statues. The statutes stand directly on opposite sides of each other, one statute is of a very beautiful woman, a Veela. And on the other statue is of a Veela in her rage-driven form with wings spread in rage, a fierce hawk-like face, talons, holding a fireball in hand ready to throw. The group splits in two with the men standing on one side and the women on the other. The men stand on the side of the beautiful statue, while the women stand on the side of the raging Veela. The woman's side is numerous, while the men's side numbers a mere handful.
Standing in the middle of the clearing, Ethel's silver, golden hair glints in the moonlight and almost seems to glow. Bowing reverently to the statues, she respectfully says in Veela, "Honored Hawk Mother accept the humble homage of this lowly daughter of yours and her offspring."
There is a fierce bird-like cry echoing through the woods causing the wizards and witches to grow still. Moving forward, Ethel removes a bottle from her pocket and pours the wine onto the ground in homage, but this time looking up at the sky. "We the children of the forefather of the Sky, we ask thee on this night to remember us and grant us thy power."
Despite it being a cloudless night suddenly a faraway thunder can be heard despite there not being a single cloud in the sky. Satisfied by the two responses, Ethel motions for her descendants to move forward and offer their gifts to the Veela foremother and their Elemental Sky forefather. The witches and wizards humbly move forward and offer gifts of meat to their Veela foremother, and wine to their forefather in the middle of the clearing.
As they do so, Ethel begins to recount the tale of ages long ago past. "Many eons ago, man and all magical beings lived side by side. In ancient times, the Spirit and Mortal world had yet to divide into two and the Spirits still walked upon the Earth. One day a fierce hawk caught the eye of a Spirit of the Sky, so very much so that he grew to intensely desire her. He followed for her many days and nights attempting to sway her to his side. Yet a Hawk would rather die than live in captivity, and so she flew even as she grew weaker until she reached the edge of the world.
Left with nowhere to run, Hawk Mother fought for her life with claw and beak. Yet it was to no avail, and she was forcibly taken. Our Hawk Mother wept to the heavens in rage and wildly fled after the foul deed had been committed while the Sky Spirit still slept. Desperate Hawk Mother sought a human born with the power of spirits, the power now called magic, and those known called witches and wizards.
Perchance fate had yet to abandon her as Hawk Mother found that which she sought, a powerful witch. Hawk Mother swore to pay any price the witch demanded as long she forevermore be hidden from the lecherous eyes of the Sky Spirit and have the strength to protect herself from all others.
The witch agreed for a price of course. In exchange, Hawk Mother would forevermore lose her gift of flight and be trapped in the form of a human. Yet Hawk Mother refused to ever fall prey again to the whims of the Spirits. A bargain was struck.
In that moment, Hawk Mother began to transform to a beautiful woman without parallel, the first Veela. Yet even with the witch's power, the nature of a Hawk cannot be completely removed. For Hawkish nature remained and even more so appeared when a Veela is enraged. (Though the power to wield fire is an unexpected gift from their Sky Spirit forefather).
In the bargain, the witch gained great powers as well becoming the first human to wear the feathers of a Hawk. They are those that are now called animagus. Though the process now is much different.
The witch and Hawk Mother separated each making their way into the world. Yet as the seasons passed the belly of Hawk Mother grew larger and larger until one night, she felt a fierce belly ache. Crouched on all fours, she pushed and pushed until she bore three daughters in a forest cave. And just like Hawk Mother, her daughters were all beautiful, fierce, and strong taking no husband only a mate. And from them, we Veela's are their descendants."
"Hogwash," Mordecai grunted under his breath. It was merely a children's fairytale. Or at least that is what he tended to tell himself, but it is a bit hard to discredit a loud clap of thunder heard in the distance when there isn't a single cloud in the night sky.
With everyone having finished making their offering to Hawk Mother and the Spirit of the Sky, Ethel strides exactly to the center of the clearing. Turning to them she says, "Daughter's come forth." The golden-haired women's hair glitters in the moonlight as they all stream forward to form a circle around the matriarch of their Greengrass family branch.
"Sons come forward and protect thy sisters," Ethel said as the small group of men moved forward, and each placed themselves evenly around the circle as best as they can.
Satisfied, Ethel begins to chant in Veela again, "Hawk Mother, I thank you for your many blessings and appeasing the curse of my mate's blood that is cast upon our daughters. However, I have felt the chains of evil finally fade away and wish to confirm that this be true. Please, I beseech you!"
A golden-like aura fills the circle for a brief moment, before fading away as tears pour down Ethel's face. Bowing deeply, she whispers, "Thank you, honored Hawk Mother," before straightening back up. Her descendants all stared at Ethel with worry as none of them could ever recall her crying, not even at her own husband's funeral!
Wiping the tears of joy from her face, Ethel loudly announces the good news, "The Maledictus Curse upon our family is finally gone!"
There is a long pause of silence until Edna, the daughter of Mordecai, patiently says, "Grandmama, I know that you want to believe that this silly little ritual removed a curse that is upon all the women of the Greengrass family, but it's simply not possible."
Ethel narrows her eyes at her narrow-minded descendant. "It is not a silly little ritual," she growled as her eyes began to glint birdlike and her nose seemed to be growing longer by the second. "And I did not say the ritual removed the curse merely that it has been removed."
Seeing that Grandmama is about to explode and possibly begin to throw fireballs willy-nilly, Benedict hurries forward to diffuse the tense situation. "Well, if that is indeed the case, we do have a healer here to confirm it for us. Sweety, why don't you perform a spell to check the curse on your sister."
"Yes, father," dutifully replied, one of the married daughters of Benedict named Henrietta. Mumbling under her breath, she chants the incantation, before pointing the wand at her nearest sister. Her mouth flops open at seeing a golden-like aura surrounding her sister.
"Well, is the curse gone?!" Snapped, Edna triumphantly at her cousin.
"I can't believe it," Henrietta whispered in awe. "The curse is truly gone."
"That's just not possible!" Edna exclaimed. "The one who cast the curse in the first place would have to remove it, and we have been cursed for centuries. It's impossible for that witch or wizard to still be alive much less remove it!"
"Or a descendant," Benedict thoughtfully interrupted his niece, his brother's daughter.
"But why now?" Edna cried out.
"I don't know," Benedict said with a shrug. "And I really don't care as long as I can now rest easy knowing that all of my precious girls are safe now." Turning towards his grandmama, he says, "We should inform the other Greengrass branches and the main branch as well."
"Yes," Ethel tiredly said gesturing for him to aid her in returning back the way they came. However, not before first bowing to Hawk Mother and giving her thanks one last time.
Trudging back across the icy path, the group is filled with hushed whispered conversations. The fiercest among them is that of Mordecai and his children, Salinger, and Edna.
"I'm telling you that it shouldn't be possible," Edna fiercely whispered through her teeth.
"Well, I for one agree with my precious daughter," Mordecai dotingly said earning a sweet grin from his favorite daughter.
Salinger is much more solemn and composed than his father. "Well, I hate to say this, but I think you are both wrong and are only trying to make a point. Henrietta is many things, but she is not a fool, and is a rather talented healer that she wouldn't make such a rudimentary mistake."
"How can you take someone's side over your own sister?!" Edna wailed in anger.
"Because you are wrong, but your pride just won't allow you or father to admit such a thing," Salinger drily retorted.
Turning to her father, Edna pouts and says, "Daddy!"
"There, there pumpkin," Mordecai consoled his daughter shooting his son a dirty look. "Daddy will get to the bottom of everything!"
Salinger manages to refrain from rolling his eyes in exasperation just in time. He knew that there was no point in arguing with the two of them. They would just end up earning Grandmama's wrath for good reason. At least after Grandmama finally lectured them, they would thankfully behave themselves for a month or so.
Still, what could he do? They were family. And we don't always get to pick and choose who we would like.