December 1991

— The problem is that humans have an ability for desiring what hurts them most.

Firenze pondered Ronan's words and wondered if the centaurs should intervene. He knew that the conflicts of the wizards should not be their primary concern, yet this would impact them. These wand- wielding bipeds had already parked them in this forest and cohabitation between the different magical species was far from obvious. What were the plans of this Dark Lord for the centaur herd? Would they be forced to participate in this conflict in the hope of finding a proper habitat? Should they flee to their homelands and seek asylum from their distant Greek cousins?

Firenze took one last look at the sky, but it was covered with white clouds, a sign that they had not yet unloaded all their snow, preventing him from making predictions.

— Do you see a favorable outcome? asked Firenze.

— It is only necessary that the one who was born on the wrong side finds his Glow.

— Are we sure it's him?

— Is there another boy in this castle who belongs in the celestial vault?

— You may agree that this task seems impractical. Have you not seen the child's behavior? And is the girl really the Glow? They seem to hate each other!

— We will probably never know if we have interpreted the signs correctly. Mars was shining brightly that night. Venus was shy and Uranus wasn't too far away either.

Firenze nodded, he too had seen the planet's movements. The future was worrisome, the tides of evil were already coming in, the fighting was going to resume soon and he suspected that sacrifices would have to be made. It was useless to linger any longer, they would have their confirmation in a small decade. He turned away from his fellow centaur and returned to the forest's heart.

December 1992:

Snow covered the ground of the forbidden forest, the wind blew flakes that twirled and clung to the almost white hair of the gold-robed centaur. Firenze shook his hooves to clear the ice that had accumulated and raised his head to observe the stars. By the stars movement, he was able to predict that dark hours would come even faster than expected. The spiders in the castle had already taken refuge in the forest and the small rodents no longer ventured into the kitchens.

The centaur saw the young wizard who was supposed to deliver them all from the evil that was lurking around arguing with the one who was born on the wrong side. A few snippets reached the centaur

— Hey Potter, I'll be you, I'll watch out for Granger, the mudblood will be the next victim!

Firenze sighed. He watched Harry Potter and his friends walk away from the heated exchange. The Glow had retaliated, ending the confrontation.

The young Draco Malfoy looked saddened to see the girl he loved siding with his enemies.

The centaur's heart skipped a beat as the girl, the Glow, turned around. Was she sorry? She didn't look like it, she just squinted her eyes one last time. Still, Firenze was pleased to know that the young Malfoy seemed to have identified his Glow. He knew that fate had chosen a difficult path for this young boy. He just hoped he would rise to the occasion.

The centaur shook his head, and kicked his right rear hoof in disappointment. The crunch of a rock caught his attention. He turned and searched the snowy ground for the object of his fleeting pain. He picked up a small black stone, conical, split in the middle. Was it a betyl? Fate was sending them a new omen apparently.

December 1993:

— For Chironsake, Dumbledore had lost his mind! wondered Firenze. The werewolf was once again a resident of the Forbidden Forest. Of course the centaurs wouldn't complain to the ministry, but still. The presence of the canine was not the most appreciated in these troubled times. This had been the subject of intense discussions within the herd. A majority of them did not want him in their forest home. However, it seemed that the werewolf was trained in some way. Not being aggressive to the other creatures of the forest.

A figure caught his eye, small, frail with long hair of the same pallor as that of the One Who Was Born on the Wrong Side. Did he have a sister? The little girl was stroking the mane of a thestral. She looked strange. Barefoot on the frozen December ground, blood oozing from her shoulder bag.

— Be careful Human! They bite!

— Only the Tuesday after All Saints' Day.

The centaur didn't take notice of this fair remark, but observed the child attentively. Without a doubt, she was the younger sister of the object of his concern, whether she knew it or not. Was she the help sent by fate. He would search tonight to see if the stars would grant him an answer to this mystery.

— You should go back to the castle, your brother is probably looking for you.

— If you're talking about Draco Malfoy, then you too have a head full of nargles, you should eat plums.

— Aren't you from the same line?

— If so, he might be able to help us find a rumple-Horned Snorkack.

The centaur had no idea how this child possessed such knowledge and felt a deep respect for her. Not wanting anything to happen to her, he encouraged her to join his friends.

— I thought we were friends.

Firenze did not respond and retreated.

December 1994:

Firenze burned some sage and sweet mallow so that the sinuous wisps of smoke would confirm his predictions.

— Don't you see Magorian? All the signs are in front of us. Look at that spiral! And the betyl was not placed in my path by chance!

— Signs have reached us but we can't be absolutely sure, you know it as well as I do, centaurs have no place in this conflict, you are far too invested in their stories Firenze.

— Whether we like it or not, we will be forced to take sides! he growled.

The brown haired centaur conceded in thought that Firenze was not entirely wrong. But their herd was not to participate in the hostilities. Firenze was pigheaded, he was taking this matter too much to heart. Was he suffering from the weakness of love or did he just need a female? The end of the year was fast approaching, the snow had been there for a few weeks already and they still had to prepare the solstice offerings. They didn't have any more time to lose with these stories.

— Come on, take your bow, we'll talk about this later, at the council.

Firenze abdicated, there was nothing to do for the moment. The two centaurs crushed the last embers in the snow. The coming year would mark a turning point in the course of the universe. Destiny's chosen protagonists were growing up and terrible events were approaching. The forces of evil were stronger than ever, but the Light was not yet bright enough to dispel them.

The one who was not born on the right side was only a faint light at that moment. Blinded by jealousy, fear of rejection, he pretended to ignore the source of his brilliance.

December 1995:

Firenze was about to go visit Hagrid when he noticed the Glow striding toward the half- giant's cabin. Her eyebrows furrowed, her heavy footsteps sinking knee-deep into the snow, she seemed determined. In the distance, the young Malfoy stopped his run on the ice to take a quick look at her. This made Firenze smile. Even though the Human had joined the school militia, there was obviously still hope.

The centaur hoped the girl would succeed in convincing Hagrid that his plan was doomed to failure. The Glow knocked on the door of the cabin for a good half hour with no answer.

Hagrid emerged from the forest with a swollen face. The Glow questioned him and tried to persuade him without success.

She left, her shoulders slumped and her dress soggy with snow.

Firenze went back into the forest, and he would come back to talk to Hagrid later. There was no point in insisting today.

The days passed, each one snowier than the next. The holidays were approaching and the centaur was looking forward to the serenity of the castle grounds. He needed access to the lake to collect the missing algae for the solstice offerings. He hoped the herd had harvested enough walnuts, blueberries, and pine resin. The lichen and birch bark had already been placed on the altar this morning.

The crunching of the snow caught his attention. The one who was not born on the right side seemed upset. Blush marred his cheekbones, his hair was a mess, and he was breathless. He grunted his frustration once, at length, fell silent and hastily ran a hand through his hair and adjusted his outfit. Seeming to come to his senses, he walked back to the path leading to the castle. In the distance, a few thestrals snorted, shaking off the snow that had fallen on their backs as birds flew off in fright at the cry.

A roar made him turn around sharply. Ah yes! The new inhabitant of the forest. He really had to tell Hagrid about his new project. After the werewolf, a giant. Will the wizards ever understand that this forest is a sanctuary and not a refuge for charity cases.

December 1996:

The cold December wind blew between the hewn stones of the castle and Firenze shivered. Since he had been banished from the forbidden forest, he had lost the habit of living in the wild. His walks in the castle grounds were not satisfying, and the one time he approached the edge of his wooded home to gather his solstice offerings, the herd had assaulted him with arrows. He had to gallop away and take refuge in Professor Sprout's greenhouses. His people were stubborn, but he comforted himself by telling sometimes to fulfill destiny comfort had to be giving up.

Still, he was worried. The one who was born on the wrong side seemed to be dying out faster than expected. He passed him in the dark corridors of the castle, thinner than ever, with dark circles around his eyes and grayish skin. As for the Glow, she was concerned about the Rival's attitude toward her. The Rival was infatuated with the Flower, and the Glow didn't seem to understand that fate had already placed her chosen one in her path.

Firenze wondered if he had misread the signs? Had he been mistaken about the identity of the protagonists? The stars had seemed very clear to him, however, Alpha Draconis was pointing to Vega of Lyra and the nebula of the ring was indeed the omen of a union.

Firenze regretted that he could no longer observe the stars at will. The astronomy tower was an interesting observation point, but the glow of the castle polluted the reading of the stars.

He had tried to discuss the young Malfoy's situation with the Headmaster. But the Headmaster did not seem to take his warnings seriously. Did he know that he was so doomed that he could no longer invest himself in the race of time?

The centaur was becoming more and more nostalgic, missing the forest. He was a creature made to live in a herd and the humans of the castle could not really understand him.

December 1997:

Firenze was arranging his small pile of dried herbs and flowers for the fourth time. He pushed back the last fallen snowflakes and placed his offerings on the makeshift altar he had set up for the winter solstice celebration. He had decided to dedicate it to Crotos this year. He didn't know if the herd would do the same.

He took a quick inventory and noticed that he was still missing the Sloke. He hoped the merpeople would contribute again this year. He got up and was about to head back to his new home when he was called out:

— Firenze! Aren't you ashamed! Look at you, parked like a common stable animal with the thestrals.

— Bane. I wouldn't go nearer the castle if I were you. These wizards who call themselves Death Eaters are not very tolerant humans.

— It's your fault you're in this situation! We told you to stay out of their business. Our people don't interfere with the flow of time.

— Because you believe that the status quo is the answer to everything. Like it or not, the one who calls himself the Dark Lord will force us to choose! Don't tell me you haven't noticed that some of the creatures in the forest have already changed their behavior!

— I'll grant you that the descendants of Aragog have become difficult to control. They have a growing tendency to encroach on our lands.

— If it were only for them! The dementors make our flowers die and our prey flee. The hoard will never be able to collect all the solstice offerings this year. They will starve us and condemn us to abject servitude!

— We'll think about your situation," Bane conceded.

With a pounding of hooves muffled by the snow, Bane and the rest of the herd moved away. Firenze contemplated his situation. He knew that his current dwelling disgraced him, but Mars was at its peak. It would soon be. He burned the dried herbs wrapped in pine resin on his small altar and began to recite the sacred verses of the centaurs.

December 1998:

Firenze piled the dried sage bunches in a corner of Room 11. He had finished his semester's classes with the Hufflepuff fifth years. There were only a few hours left before the Christmas holidays. The castle was about to empty and the boy who had been born on the wrong side still hadn't confessed his love to the Glow. The centaur had noticed that these two had grown closer in recent weeks.

Firenze was about to leave his room when he saw the little sister calling out to the boy who was born on the wrong side.

— Oh Draco, I thought I would find you around here!

The centaur stepped back a few hooves, listening to the exchange between the brother and sister.

— Lovegood. Draco punctuated his greeting with a nod.

— I think it's time you called me by my first name, don't you?

Luna the young man amended. Were you looking for me? he asked, suspicious.

— I was wondering if you would give the exclusive right to announce your engagement to Hermione to the Quibbler?

— How? Draco choked out. Lovegood, Luna, I don't know what you mean. Granger and I are... we're not together.

— It's up to you to fix that.

Firenze could see that the young man was uncomfortable. He hoped that he would finally have the courage to confess his feelings to the Glow.

She was just arriving at the end of the hallway with hurried steps.

— Luna! I was just looking for you! Oh hi Draco. Is everything okay? she asked worriedly as she saw the young man's tense posture.

The centaur's pulse quickened, was this finally the outcome of fate. Had the signs been interpreted correctly? Firenze held his breath, his tail swaying in anticipation.

Draco nodded his head in response to Hermione. Luna shook his hand stealthily before walking away with a light step. Hermione didn't have time to tell him what she wanted.

— I know your sister is special, but I feel like she's leaving us alone on purpose.

— We're not sure she's my sister!

— You can say what you want, but it seems that Pandora had a type of man. Tall, blond, long hair...

— Seriously Granger! These are just rumors! And how can you compare my father to hers?

— I know, Draco. Sorry, I was just teasing.

— And you're in no position to criticize a man's taste when it comes to your own. Mc Laggen and the Weasel, frankly.

— I thought however that it would please you to know that I am not indifferent to tall blond men, especially one in particular ... she added shyly.

Draco froze at this remark. He dared not hope that she had said this for him. Had she really said it. He watched her and saw a delicious blush spread from her cheeks to her neck. A small, mischievous smile hung on her fleshy lips, she was sublime.

— Granger...

Draco lowered his head, confused, his gaze fixed on his shoes, his fists clenching and unclenching. He bit his lower lip.

The centaur could see he was fighting an internal battle. Firenze was not superstitious but crossed his fingers all the same.

— Come on! Admit your feelings to her. She is there in front of you, and she has just made a rather audacious declaration, it is your chance! murmured the centaur for himself.

Breathing in through her nose slowly, Hermione held her breath and exhaled:

— Ok I understand, I went too far. We can try to stay friends, I'll just go away for a while, just to... to digest this. I'll see you soon.

She stomped away, leaving Draco standing in the middle of the hallway.

Firenze decided he had to act again. Destiny had to be fulfilled quickly if he didn't want a third war. These two were everyone's future

— You should catch up with your female, human.

The young man jumped and glared at the centaur.

— I don't deserve her.

— That's not for you to decide. Fate is giving you a chance to change the game.

— I don't have to take love advice from a nag! spat the young man.

— I am relieved that you at least acknowledge that you love him.

Draco abdicated, Firenze was right, she was ready to give him a chance and he had not known to seize it. He looked at the horse, a glimmer of hope in his eyes. The centaur nodded:

— You are not a bad person. You are a good person who has had bad things happen to him.