"Asriel!" Opal shouted across the great hall. The monster looked up from where he had just put down his potions book, ready to quiz Chara on some of the antidotes to common poisons. He looked around, spotted Opal, and waved. Opal must have come from outside, she was wearing her cloak. She skidded to a halt next to him. "Dubran's missing." she said breathlessly (though not as breathlessly as Asriel would have been had he been moving that quickly).

"What?" Asriel asked blankly, the words not really registering with him. The few other Gryffindors who'd come down to the great hall early glanced over to the Hufflepuff in curiosity.

"Dubran's gone missing," Opal repeated. "Come on, I'll explain on the way. I just need to see if Frisk's at the library."

Asriel and Chara looked at each other, and quickly packed away their potion books. "How do you know that?" Asriel asked, already short of breath, from trying to keep up with her. "

"I just had Care of Magical Creatures," Opal said. "Toward the end of class, one of the centaurs came up to interrupt Hagrid's lesson. He wasn't very happy about it, but once he said Dubran had ran away, he ended class early, and had one of the Hufflepuffs go find the headmaster. I was lucky, I saw Luna coming out of Transfiguration. She's looking for Frisk upstairs, and I was looking down here."

They reached the library and did a quick sweep, but didn't see Frisk anywhere. "Let's just go outside," Asriel said, leading the way back through the Great Hall into the ground outside the castle. The three of them made their way out towards the two huts that stood near the edge of the forbidden forest.

"Asriel," Chara asked, out of breath, as they got close. "What do you expect to be able do?"

"Help," Asriel said, his eyes locked ahead, and mind focused on the centaur. "It's my fault he was in so much trouble with his father. And I'm his friend,"

Hagrid was standing with Firenzie outside their huts. Both of them were looking anxiously towards the castle. The centaur pointed at them as they arrived, smiling slightly. "I might have known you would find out somehow, and come down to join us," Firenzie said.

Asriel had to pause to catch his breath. Keeping up with Opal at full tilt hadn't been easy. "How can we help?" he managed to finally get out.

"I am not sure yet," he admitted. "And I am not sure if you should, though I have no doubts that you want to. The dark forest is a vast place, and most of it is not safe, even for centaurs." Firenzie looked back to the forest. "Which is why I am worried."

"Eh," Hagrid said. "Dumbledore will find him, don't you worry, Firenzie. Here he comes."

Dumbledore was striding purposefully down the path. He wasn't alone. Professors Snape, McGonagall, and Sprout, were all walking with him. Trailing a bit behind them was Frisk and Luna. Dumbledore wasted no time. "What do we know?" he asked, focusing directly on Hagrid.

"Bane came to me during my final class today," Hagrid told him. "Said Dubran had kicked a hole in the hut he was being confined in while Magorian was out in the forest. He has been missing for an hour, and Bane thought he came here."

"I believe he would have tried to come here," Firenzie added. "The fact that he has not makes me believe that he has become lost in the forest, and it will get dark soon."

"With all due respect, headmaster," Snape said, his dark eyes glinting, as he observed the gathering of young and adult wizards. "Why is this not a problem for the centaurs? You told us the centaurs threatened to kill us if they caught us in the forest. Do you believe this worth risking their ire? That this might be some sort of hoax?"

Dumbledore swept his gaze down to the Dreemurrs and their friends before meeting Professor Snape's eyes. "Your position is noted, Serverus. But I am not prepared to take that chance myself and I do not believe you are, either."

"Headmaster," Professor McGonagall said, "How do you intend we find young Dubran? We cannot track him directly without something for the spell to focus on. Should we split up?"

"And how can we help?" Asriel asked, looking up at the headmaster.

Dumbledore looked down at Asriel sharply, and was about to speak when Snape spoke up first. "You cannot seriously be considering it. It is much too dangerous for children of that age..."

"If we don't allow them to go, Serverus," Professor Sprout spoke up, "They will go on their own. It is better we focus their efforts." A wry smile appeared on her face. "At least this group asks first."

"I agree with Pomona," Dumbledore told them. "We shall pair off the best we can." He looked back at Asriel. "Do you have any ideas on how to find him?"

Asriel felt his heart sank. "Not specifically. But there was the tracking spell that Professor Sprout used when she helped us find the coerus before winter break."

"We do not have a focus point for that spell, yet," Dumbledore explained. "I shall go to the centaur camp and see if I can obtain one. That, I should probably do by myself. Do you have other thoughts?"

"Maybe some of the other inhabitants of the forest?" Chara suggested. "Unicorns have a strong connection with life. Or maybe circling by air?"

"There's a lot of dangerous creatures in the woods too," countered Snape. "I'd hate to think of what would happen if a young centaur stumbled into the Acromantula colony."

"Aragog won't hurt nobody!" Hagrid exclaimed. "And the spiders are all over the forest. That's a idea Snape. Who's coming with me?" There was no movement for a moment, until Chara finally put her hand up. "Oh, good, Chara. You'll like this." So saying, he strode off into the forest, with Chara jogging to keep up.

"Shout if you find something, Hagrid. Meet back here at sundown." Dumbledore said as the large man disappeared in the trees. "She will be safe enough with Hagrid. For the rest of us, those of us who can should use flares or patronuses."

Snape looked like he was about to complain again, but Frisk interrupted him. "May I go with you, professor?"

Professor Snape was so startled, and actually flattered, that he forgot to protest. "Very well. There is the area claimed by that enchanted car. Frisk and I will search around there."

"And I shall see if I can find the unicorns," Firenzie said. "Would you like to join me, Luna? Your visits over spring break have been a great comfort." Luna smiled up to him, walking up to stand beside him.

"I shall take Opal and find the wolf pack," McGonagall said. "If anyone can sniff out a missing young centaur without a scent to start with, it will be them."

"I guess you're with me, Asriel," Professor Sprout said, smiling. "We'll take the area near the school, headmaster."

"Good luck to us all," Dumbledore said, and they all made their way into the Dark Forest.

"Dubran!" Asriel called for the hundredth time. His voice echoed weirdly through the trunks of the Dark Forest trees. He'd gotten used to it, partially. "Professor," Asriel said, looking up at the herbology teacher. "Shouldn't we go a bit deeper?" It wasn't quite a fair question. They were far enough in that Asriel couldn't easily tell which way they should go to get out again. But on the other paw, they'd been looking for at least an hour, and the sun was starting to creep lower.

The professor was looking agitated herself. "I thought we might have heard from the headmaster or the others by now," she admitted. "I suppose we had better. If he was nearby, or coming this way, he'd have heard us by now." She considered for a moment before pointing her lit wand, "This way, then."

The trees got thicker, with fewer clearings, as they went deeper in the forest. The shadows cast by the wand light of the two wizards made some odd and disturbing shapes. It was different since the last time he came here as well, the trees were green with fresh leaves, rather than the colorful ones of fall. But, though Asriel wasn't sure, he thought he recognized the area they were passing through. "Professor? Was this where we were when we were searching for the coerus, a few months ago?"

Madam Sprout stopped for a second, pursing her lips and looking around. "It might be, but I'm not sure. I'm in and out of the forest about once a week," when Asriel looked surprised she continued. "Not all herbs grow in the greenhouses. Some like the forest better, though forest herbs are NEWT level courses." she told him.

"Do you think we could look for it, the coerus I mean? Asriel asked. "Is there a chance it could help us find Dubran?"

"It would be a very slim chance, Asriel," the professor told him. "Coerus are still wild animals, you know. Even you think they owe you. In any event, even the best tracker, or tracking spell, needs some place to start. A drop of blood, a piece of clothing, an item they identify with, something."

Asriel felt his shoulders slump. "Is it worth trying anyway? There has to be some way we can find him, doesn't there?"

"Well," Madam Sprout said slowly, "Perhaps there is no harm in looking. As long as we are looking for Dubran in this part of the woods anyway." She narrowed her eyes suddenly, struck by a sudden thought. "Perhaps it's even a good idea. Alright, let's go."

They ranged out again, Asriel and Madam Sprout both looking for the fallen log that had been the den of the coerus, still calling out for Dubran. The sun was starting to dip lower in the sky, and Asriel's stomach was rumbling Sundown must have come later in the day than he thought it did, and he might have been missing dinner, but he forced himself to ignore it.

Asriel was beginning to think they were in a different part of the forest altogether when the professor waved for his attention, and put a pair of fingers to her lips. Asriel looked around, and realized she was standing about ten feet back from what must have been the coerus' den. As quietly as possible, Asriel made his way over to her, and looked in the direction of her pointing hand. A single coerus, the size of one of a mundane panther, was lying down in the partially concealed den under the fallen oak. It blinked at him, possibly having just awoken. Was it one of the ones Frisk had led them too before? He wasn't sure. He crouched down, "Howdy," Asriel said, unaware Madam Sprout was hovering behind him. "Do you remember me?"

"Asriel," Madam Sprout told him, "As intelligent as they are, the coerus doesn't understand English. I'm pretty sure one could learn, if it spent a lot of time around the language. Kneazles can, even kneazle-cat crossbreeds can. But you're going to have to find a different way through."

"A different way?" Asriel asked. Almost subconsciously, he tensed his soul, bringing it into the surface. Then, what was it Chara had told him? She had been the one to study the coerus after they'd come back. Something about not making eye contact, he remembered that. Asriel crouched, and focused his eyes at point in the ground, so that he had to look upward to see it properly, then he held out a tentative hand, not quite into the animal's den.

The coerus's tentacles whipped around the cave, and it took all of Asriel's courage not to turn tail. He kept his voice low and soft, "Do you remember? I was here before, when you were starving. There's another child, lost somewhere her in the woods. A friend. I'm scared for him, I think he might get hurt, and it might be my fault..."

Asriel felt a pair of tentacles touch him on the back, through his robes, and froze. The coerus was still staring at him from the den, bathed in a multicolor light of Asriel's soul. So, how had it... right. It could displace where it appeared to be. He fought the urge to turn around, and closed his eyes.

"Please. I need any help that I can get."

Maybe it was the tone of voice, or maybe the coerus could feel the fear and sorrow radiating from Asriel's soul. But the tentacles removed themselves from Asriel's back. When he opened his eyes, the coerus was gone from its den. He relaxed his soul magic, and looked cautiously over his shoulder. The coerus was, apparently, sitting next to him, the tentacles resting across its back. It looked up at him with bright orange eyes. Behind him, he caught a glance of Madam Sprout slipping her wand back into an inner robe pocket.

Asriel slowly stood back up, lowering his eyes slightly, so he wasn't looking at the coerus directly. "I don't suppose you know where the centaur child is, do you?" He realized what he said, and put his hand to his forehead. "Not that you know what a centaur is. Wait," he turned to the Professor. "Wait! We can show him, can't we? Do you know where the centaur camp is from here?"

"It's what I was about to suggest, Asriel," Madam Sprout smiled. "Let's go," she said, leading the way through the forest again, Asriel trailing behind her, and the coerus following behind him. The sun, what he could see of it, was starting to get close to the horizon. If anyone else had found Dubran, they had some way to check in, right?

They stopped just outside the clearing of the Centaur camp. Most of the centaurs must have been out looking for Dubran as well, the camp was much emptier than when they visited it for dinner. Also, there was a hut, with two holes in it, one in the back where Dubran must have kicked it open. Finally, Asriel could see Dumbledore sitting in what seemed to be a rather comfortable looking armchair, and he was rather pointedly twiddling his thumbs. After a few moments, he glanced in their direction, met Madam Sprouts eyes. He stood, giving a rather dramatic stretch, and walked out of the camp towards the edge. There were two centaurs specifically who watched him go, bows resting on their side.

The headmaster circled around the camp, just far enough inside the treeline to not be able to be seen by the centaurs inside. The coerus flickered from beside Asriel to a bit further away as he approached. Dumbledore glanced at the coerus momentarily before addressing the Herbology teacher. "If they would let us in to find something that belongs to him, we could find something to trace him with. But they will not."

Asriel had looked at the camp for a moment and was about to ask speak up, when Madam Sprout got their first. "Headmaster, which is more important?" she asked. "Our relationship with the centaurs as a group, or finding the lost child?"

Dumbledore gave her an even look.

"That's what I thought," Madam Sprout said, and turned back to Asriel. "Asriel? Do you think you, and your new friend, might be able to sneak your way into that hut and find something that belongs to Dubran?"

"Give me just a second before you do," Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling. "I would hate to be accused of plotting revenge." He turned, and circled back to his armchair, and returned to twiddling his thumbs.

Asriel looked in the direction the coerus appeared to be at the moment, and knelt down. He tapped his chest with his fingers, then pointed them at the damaged hut. Afterward, he extended a palm to the coerus, before sweeping his hand to point at the two centaur guards.

The coerus looked at Asriel, then at the two centaur. It bared its fangs for just a moment, possibly in a feral smile, and vanished,. It reappeared some distance away, and moved off in the direction of the centaur camp.

The shouts were almost instant, as centaurs pointed out that the coerus was making off with a large haunch of uncooked meat, stolen from their fire pit. The two guard centaurs shouted their challenge and chased after the thief. It hadn't been what Asriel had been expecting as a distraction. He wasn't sure what he had been expecting, but it wasn't that. Still, it was effective, as it seemed to have gotten the attention of all the centaurs in the camp. As Asriel raced into the camp and disappeared inside his target, he could hear Dumbledore calling out, "Are you sure you do not want my help?"

There really wasn't much there, an area covered with a blanket, a small pile of unwashed shirts, and an empty table. As it was the only thing available, Asriel grabbed a shirt and, with only a quick glance to make sure his escape was clear, darted back in the direction of the treeline.

Madam Sprout was waiting for him. "Very good, Asriel," she said, smiling down at him. She took the shirt, and looked at it critically for a moment, not caring that it was dirty and probably sweaty.

"This should work just fine. I suppose Dumbledore is proving how patient he can be," she continued, looking over in the direction of the armchair. "But in the meantime, we should go find Dubran. This time with certainty."

She cast her charm, and frowned. "Dubran went the wrong way to start with. He went away from Hogwarts, not towards it."

"He was probably being chased by his father," Asriel said, remembering how his friend had been dragged away from Hogwarts. "Then never got straightened out."

"Perhaps," the professor said. "This way then," she said, lighting her wand, Asriel followed suit. They were going into an even deeper part of the forest, and the sun was penetrating less of the canopy, causing the Dark Forest to live up to its name. The coerus had reappeared, apparently trailing behind them. The meat that it had stole was gone, either hidden or devoured.

They started calling Dubran's name as soon they were clear of the centaur village. They had walked for another good fifteen to twenty minutes, when they finally were rewarded with a cry for help, down through a gap in the trees ahead of them. Asriel ran ahead, over a crevice, and past a particularly thick oak tree. Dubran was leaning against that oak tree, pain evident on his face.

"Dubran! Are you okay?" Asriel asked.

"I can't stand," Dubran whimpered.