The following afternoon, after the last lessons of the day, Lydia slipped away from her friends. She made her way down to Hagrid's hut. She had said nothing to the others and she was not sure why. She wanted to see what it was all about first, she told herself. But there was a little nugget of worry deep down in her mind. It taunted her, saying, 'It's because you think you're special and they're not'. But she was special. So were they, but in different ways. Maybe this was about her 'special', her own particular way, not theirs.
She knocked on Hagrid's door.
"Ah, there yeh are," came Hagrid's voice from around the corner of the hut. "This way, Lydia. This way."
She walked to the corner. Hagrid was by his allotment.
"Jus' tendin' to the pumpkins," he explained. "It'll be 'Alloween afore we knows it. Anyway, you come wi' me Miss Ward. I got friends who want ter see yeh."
"Are they animal friends or people friends, Professor?" Lydia asked as they walked into the forest.
"What? Who… Oh, me," said Hagrid, looking all around. "I thought one o' the proper professors was 'ere."
"You are a proper professor, Hagrid," Lydia reminded him. "And our lesson on Bowtruckles was as good as any lesson I've had."
"Oh, well, thanks," Hagrid muttered. "It's funny, bein' 'ere most o' me life and most o' that not as a professor. I still don't feel like one o' them. Not proper like, anyway. I ain't quite the same."
She reached up and grabbed his hand or, at least, his finger. "I feel like that, sometimes, with my magic. But you always fit in if you have friends. And you've got lots of friends. You don't have to be perfect to have friends. My uncle told me that Professor McGonagall likes you. She… makes allowances for you, sometimes, but she wouldn't do that if she didn't value you."
Hagrid coughed, sniffed and rubbed his nose. "Thank yeh kindly, Lydia. Very nice of yeh to say that. Now, here we are. Just up this rise."
They walked up a slope and into a clearing filled with meadow flowers. It was still daylight but, with the shade from the trees, some flowers were starting to close for the evening. Hagrid reached into his coat and drew out a whistle. He blew it and made a familiar trilling sound, which echoed hauntingly through the trees.
Lydia looked up at Hagrid. "Is it…?"
"An old friend, who'll want to see yeh," Hagrid grinned.
Lydia looked around and waited. Within a minute, a rustling sound whispered from between the trees to her left. A young silver horse strutted out into the clearing.
"Hello," Lydia intoned. "Look at you. You're tall and handsome and silver, now. Thank you for coming to see me."
The young unicorn walked up to Lydia. She noticed Hagrid had taken a few steps backwards as the colt nudged Lydia with his muzzle. She stroked his nose and he lipped her hand. Then he started to nudge her pockets.
"Lydia," Hagrid murmured from behind and above.
She turned and he tossed an apple into her hands. She offered the apple to the unicorn. He took it with care for her fingers, his warm lips caressing her outstretched palm. When he had finished the apple, the colt moved to stand beside Hagrid.
"Is this who you wanted me to meet, Hagrid?" she asked.
"'E's been lookin' out for you all the time yeh been 'ere," Hagrid said. "I caught 'im lookin' down where yeh was swimmin' with our Gertie, the Giant Squid."
"I didn't know she had a name."
"Well, that's jus' what I calls 'er," he smiled. "She's a lonely ol' thing, mostly. Jus' like me, a giant. Very fond o' you, she is. But this lad 'ere isn't jus' who I wanted yeh ter meet. 'E's come ter watch, like me. Witness, like."
She frowned. "Witness what?"
"You go stand over there, in the middle o' this glade," Hagrid said. "We'll stay 'ere and watch. You go wait an' see who comes to see yeh."
Lydia did as he asked. She stood at peace, looking up into the early evening sky.
A raven flew over her head, huge wings blotting out the sky. It landed at the edge of the trees ahead of her. A barn owl swooped silently into the glade and landed on a bough ahead and to her right, a little further off than the raven. Other animals started to arrive. Two rabbits hopped out from between the bushes to her left. A fox appeared directly in front of her. It sat on its haunches beside the raven, ignoring the rabbits. To her right and slightly behind she heard a rustling and crackling of twigs. Two dark, mournful thestrals stepped out into the open space. Birds flew in to land on the branches. Small furry faces with twinkling eyes looked out from beneath the bushes.
A peaceful silence rested on the glade. Then Lydia noticed a faint glow between the trees ahead of her. The raven hopped forwards, the fox moved to the right. The silvery light under the trees grew clearer. Lydia smiled, knowing what it meant. A tall proud unicorn appeared, surrounded by a moonlight glow. It glided forwards until it was three or four metres from her, turning its head to see her clearly. Then the unicorn lowered its head and bent its front leg into a deep bow. Lydia felt her chest swell with emotion.
"Lydia Faye Ward," a sonorous voice came from behind her.
She turned to find she was looking up at a centaur. He was darker than the only other centaur she had ever seen, Professor Firenze. He had a stern, solemn face and broad shoulders. He carried a bow across his back and wore a circlet of silver on his brow. He bowed his head in reverence.
"I am honoured to be alive when one of the wizards of old appears. Indeed, a witch, no less. I join with my fellow creatures of the forest in honouring you and recognising you as one of our own. Life flows through you in a way which has not been seen for many lifetimes, except in the Old One."
"I am Madoc," the centaur continued. "I am of the forest, but not this forest. You, too, are of the forest, but of every forest. You are here in this time with reason. The storm is approaching and the darkness swells under our hooves. We have seen these times coming, foretold in the heavens. The sentinels, the cats as you name them, have felt it coming closer. It is not yet upon us but it nears. You will see a figure in grey who watches you. I see from your face you have already felt his presence in your dreams. He is the first of their number. He directs those on this side who pave the way. Those who make sacrifice. Those who disrupt this world and make us more vulnerable."
Madoc bowed his head and sighed. "You are young, still a foal. We must hope you have time to season and to prepare. But strength comes from love and purity, not from muscle and sinew. One day soon the Old One must reveal himself and prepare you. Until that time, may our respect and love ward you as you will ward us. I am sorry this falls to you. But remember, the peoples of the forest would not have sent their representatives here this day if they did not believe in you. Take our blessings with you, Lydia."
Madoc bent his knee and bowed low to Lydia. "Take my circlet, for it is yours as Queen of the Forests. Wear it always, though none will see it until you enter the First and Last Forest."
Lydia reached out and took the silver band from Madoc's brow. She stepped back and held the circlet over her head. It felt warm for a second then, somehow, fit her perfectly as she lowered it onto her head. Then it was gone. She could no longer feel it with her hands, but she could sense its presence without touch.
"Thank you, Madoc," she said. "What must I do now?"
Madoc had deep, dark eyes. He smiled. "You must learn. You must love our world. You must wait. The Old One will tell you all, as far as it is possible. You must trust, Lydia Ward. You must trust yourself and those you have gathered to you."
He looked around at the forest creatures gathered there. "And you must return in peace. The hunt will begin again as the sun sets."
He turned to Lydia once more, his face sad now, but kindly. "Farewell, Lydia. May we meet again, one day."
Madoc turned, wheeling away from Lydia. He nodded to Hagrid and the two unicorns who had moved to his side, then walked back into the trees.
Lydia swung round to see the other animals melt away into the forest. The unicorns bowed to Lydia and the two of them left the glade. Only Lydia and Hagrid remained.
"I didn't really understand any o' that," said Hagrid. "But I've heard of Madoc. He's like the holy man of the centaurs. An' all them animals was 'ere to see you, Lydia. Shame Gertie the squid couldn't 'ave made it. Anyway, time fer tea."
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