A/N: Okay, I think that perhaps it's time to realize that I'm just going to have to put a time line and be done with it:

Harry defeats Voldemort. Ten years later he's still not over it because everyone he knew died in the battle (practically everyone) and he spends all his time gaining power and hunting down Death Eaters. Then, quite by accident, he gets sent back in time to right before he defeats Voldemort and accidentally changes time. Now, his own time isn't changed when he goes back, but the past is. So basically the Harry from this story is from the CHANGED past. Not the one that goes back in time. No one died in the battle the second time. The Harry that did go back in time and changed the past is the one Phineas was telling Harry about.

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Chapter 19: Learning

Harry looked around at the patiently waiting faces and suddenly he felt very warm inside. These were the people he should be teaching. These were the people who were willing to learn and had the ability to do so. These weren't people selected by the Minister to learn something they hadn't asked to learn.

"If this is to be a class," Harry said, deciding to start the class out with a lecuture. "Everyone in here has to be prepared for what's coming. It will be hard, but you will learn and grow stronger. You will become able to defend yourself. Anyone who is not prepared to work hard should leave now." Not a person left. Harry's eyes lingered on Elizabeth for a moment and saw that she looked nervous but resolute.

"I think," Harry said on a sudden inspiration, "That we should learn defensive spells. As you all know, Defense Against the Dark Arts is going to be very important. I think we'll learn and perfect the Disarming Charm."

Harry could see the disappointment on Hannah's face and grinned. "Hannah. Front and Center."

Hannah looked confused. "What?"

"Come to the front and stand in the center," Harry elaborated.

Hannah nodded, looking rather nervous for the first time. She shuffled to the front.

"Perform the charm."

Hannah pulled her wand out of her pocket and, then looked questioningly at Harry. "On who?"

"Me," Harry said, pulling out his own wand.

Hannah looked very nervous now. She raised her wand and yelled, "Expelliarmus!"

The spell hit Harry and he felt the small tug on his wand and fought back, sending only a tiny trickle of resistance. It was enough. Nothing happened.

"Perform the spell," Harry repeated.

"I did," Hannah said, staring at Harry. Suddenly her face was determined and she raised her wand souting, "Expelliarmus!"

Harry fought back again. This time it was slightly harder and Harry had been caught unawares. Still, he managed to hold onto his wand with only the minimum amount of resistance. Hannah was quite frustrated. "It should have worked," she said, frowning.

"It should have," Harry agreed. "But in this classroom, we're going to be learning more than how to perform a spell. We will learn how to put the power necessary behind it. We will learn how to use your head and perform the correct spells in real combat situations. This isn't going to be like your other classes. Not at all."

Little Elizabeth was looking nervous. Harry felt suddenly rather sorry that the other students had showed up. She looked very small next to all those other children. Even the two first years that had tagged along dwarfed her completely.

He should do something to make her feel more welcome.

"Okay, everyone seperate into pair. Since there's an odd number of people, Elizabeth can be with me."

Elizabeth's eyes grew wide and she leapt eagerly from her seat. Everyone else moved around the room, grabbing partners. Hannah paired up with Ricky. Harry found he didn't know the rest of the students names. There was time to learn later.

Elizabeth already had her wand out when she popped up in front of Harry. He had the impression that she had had it out the entire time.

"Is it okay?" Harry asked. "I had originally planned for this time for me to work with you alone. I'm not sure how they found out."

"I'm happy, actually," Elizabeth said shyly. "At least now if I mess up it won't be as big of a deal."

Harry grinned at her. "Okay, do you know the spell?" Elizabeth nodded. "Show me what you can do."

Elizabeth raised her wand and her voice joined the chorus of "Expelliarmus!" Harry felt the tug of the spell. It was about as strong as Hannah's first try but this time Harry did not attempt resistance and his wand flew into Little Elizabeth's hands. She squealed in excitement.

"Now it's my turn," Harry said. He held out his hand and his wand flew back into his hand. Elizabeth's eyes grew wide.

Harry really didn't need to practice the spell at all because of the years of practice. He could perform the spell half asleep. But he had decided that every person needed to know what it felt like to have the spell performed on them. It was the Moody-method except with less dangerous charms.

Elizabeth's wand flew out of her hand and she tried to catch it before it got to far away but missed. Harry caught it deftly and tossed it back to her. Then Elizabeth tried the charm again. It had the same amount of power behind it as the first time and this time Harry didn't allow his wand to leave his hand. Elizabeth frowned. "Why didn't it work?"

"I blocked it," Harry said simply.

"But you didn't do anything," Elizabeth protested. "You have to say a counter curse."

Harry nodded. "I did. Have you gotten to the point yet when you can simply wave your wand and, without saying the incantation, perform the charm?" Elizabeth shook her head. The always enthusiastic Grander, who had no partner, said, "I have! I have! On the unlocking charm."

Harry raised his eyebrows but Grander didn't look even slightly abashed at his outburst.

"And the next thing to that is automatic defenses," Harry said. "I have the ability to block all sorts of spells without even having to wave my wand."

"That's cool!" Elizabeth said. "Can I do that?"

"If you practice really hard," Harry said. "Now, perform the spell on me again except this time, put more power behind it."

Elizabeth tried again once more before Harry put Grander with her and went around the classroom, making sure everyone could perform the charm. He had to correct grips many times, but by the end of class, everyone was at least slightly performing the charm.

"I want everyone to perform the charm on command next lesson. I want it the first try as well. If my assumption is correct, you are all the best and brightest of your years and will tell you now that the expectations in this class if far above those of your other classes. I expect the best and I will poke and pry until I get it. You will give the best you can or you can go to a different class. Class dismissed."

Everyone got up to go and Harry saw the same look on every face--one of happiness and excitement. Not a single person looked put off by what he had said.

Harry moved to talk to Elizabeth. "Do you need me to call your parents for you or can you find your way?"

Elizabeth shook her head. "They should be here soon. We have a big clock at our house--"

"Hannah!" Harry said quickly as he saw the girl leaving. "Hold a minute." He turned back to Elizabeth. "So you'll be fine?" Elizabeth nodded. "Good." Elizabeth left the room.

Hannah looked a little nervous as she hung back. Ricky hung back as well but Harry motioned irritably for him to go and he walked out of Harry's sight, though Harry was quite sure he had not completely left.

Harry waved his wand and a chair arranged itself in front of his desk as he settled into the chair behind it. He motioned for Hannah to sit and she did so, trying not to look at the chair under her.

Grander had not left the room with the others and Harry looked at him pointedly. Grander looked at him in surprise.

"I'll only be a minute," Harry said. Grander looked rather annoyed but complied. When the History of Magic teacher had left, Harry turned back to the girl in front of him.

"Is there anything you want to tell me?"

"No, sir."

Harry raised his eyebrows. "Listen, I said exactly the same thing to my Headmaster when I was younger than you and, in turn, my Headmaster told me as much as I told him. My godfather died because of the silence. Now, is there anything you want to tell me?"

Hannah frowned. "What happened?"

Harry waved it away. "Nothing that's important at the moment. There's something you're not telling me and, I admit, there's no reason for you to do so. However, I would like you to tell me how you found out about the class."

"Someone told me," Hannah said, unconvincingly.

"Who?" Harry asked, deciding that the obvious lie might have some basis in fact.

"The person told me not to tell."

"Did they?" Harry persisted.

"Yes," Hannah said resolutely.

"Very well," Harry said. Hannah blinked in surprise. "You may go."

Hannah got out of her chair, confused. Still, when Harry said nothing else, she turned and left. Harry heard Ricky's voice outside a moment later and knew that his guess about Ricky had been correct. Grander came in a moment later.

"Why did I have to leave?"

"Because you're her teacher," Harry said. "I thought that if you were here, she would think that she was under interrogation by the school. Besides, I thought she was more likely to tell me than you."

"And?"

"I was wrong," Harry said, frowning. "She lied. I could tell. There's something she's not telling me. I saw it the day of the attack. They were out of bounds for more reasons than they were letting on."

"Did you find out how she knew about your meeting with Elizabeth?"

"I know that no one told her about it," Harry said. "She's not saying anything. She doesn't want me to know." Harry sighed wearily. "I should have used Occlemency on her."

Grander raised his eyebrows. "You mean mind reading? You believe in that?"

"The mind is not a book that you can pick up and read at your leisure," Harry said, repeating what Snape had told him on his first Occlemency lessen. "It's more complex than that."

"How do you do it?" Grander asked. Harry determined at that moment that the only way to describe Grander was the word 'sponge' trying to soak up every bit of lost or forgotten knowledge he could lay his hands on.

"It's long and complicated," Harry said. "Very uninteresting." Harry leaned back in his chair and looked at the ceiling. "Is there anything else I'm supposed to do today?"

"Not that I know of," Grander said. "Hungry?"

"Not really," Harry said. At that moment he wanted nothing more than to get away from that stupid castle with its secrets and constant, hovering threats, and stupid, blind Headmistresses. "I want to go flying." He realized as soon as he said it that that was indeed what he wanted to do. "It's been so long."

"On a real broom?"

"No," Harry said. "On a vacuume."

"Oh," Grander said. "Well, that makes sense."

"Of course I mean a broom!" Harry said, "What did you think I meant?"

"I thought you wanted to go space walking," Grander said, shrugging. "You know, in a vacuume. But you mean on a broom? Like the kind we simulate for Quid?"

"Yeah, except for Quidditch," Harry said. "It's much better. When Voldemort's gone, I'm going to try and reinstate it at Hogwarts."

"Good luck," Grander said. "Of course, with those Bludgers you played with, it's no wonder you're hard headed."

Harry grinned. "Never got hit in the head, personally. Broke my arm one time. Another time I nearly swallowed a Snitch. Then I fell from my broom at 50 feet up..." Harry trailed off. "I suppose with the limited medical knowledge you have, Quidditch can be concidered violent."

"No kidding," Grander said, giving Harry a strange look. "Swallowed the Snitch?"

"First game I ever played," Harry said, grinning. "I was nearly bucked from my broom because a servant of Voldemort was jinxing it. Before I could even get reorientated on the field, I accidentally swallowed te Snitch."

"Sound dangerous," Grander said.

"It was," Harry agreed. "But it was all worth it. Getting to fly on my broom was the only thing that I could do to get away from everything at school."

"Sounds nice," Grander agreed. "You'll have to show me some time. I was a mess when I tried out for the Quid team when I was at school. Let's see...Hannah's on the team."

"Really?" Harry asked. "Doesn't sound very exciting next to Quidditch though."

"I don't there's very much than a fight with Voldemort that could be as exciting as Quidditch," Grander said, shaking his head. "Sounds like about a hundred ways you could get hurt just from pushing off the ground."

"I'll show you," Harry said suddenly, standing up. "I saw a bunch of brooms at the Ministry of Magic. We'll go get them and head down to the Quidditch pitch and try them out."

"The Quidditch pitch?" Grander asked blankly. "They put the entire Quid system up out there. There's no way there's going to be room to fly a broom."

"Over the forest then," Harry said. "Or out by the lake."

Grander didn't look too happy about it, but Harry was on a role and he was now itching to get back on a broom. "We'll Apparate to the Minstry. Are you coming?"

Grander's face showed plainly his hesitation, but when he saw how eager Harry was, he nodded resignedly and followed.

* *

"You can't just leave with a centuries old artifact!" the man at the Minstry argued as Harry picked up and examined the broom before frowning and shaking his head.

"I already did it once," Harry said vaguely. "Twice actually in the company of your Minister."

The man shook his head firmly. "I hope you don't expect me to believe that."

"Where do you think that talking portrait went?" Harry asked. "Ah..." He picked up a broom and held it above the ground. When he released it, it floated.

"Wh--How did you do that?" the man asked.

"Magic," Harry said grinning. He handed the broom to Grander. "This one will do for me. I'll have to find you one that's not nearly as fast."

"Thank you," Grander said, his voice tight as he held the broom in his hand. "This probably isn't a good time to tell you that I don't think I'm going to like flying, is it?"

"Nonscense," Harry said dismissively. "Everyone likes flying. Well, except for Neville, but Madam Pomfrey healed his broken wrist soon enough."

Grander went green.

"I don't think I should let you take that," the man argued.

"Are you still going on about something?" Harry asked. The man's mouth opened slightly in surprise. "Listen," Harry said. "I really don't care what you think. These are not going to any use here and I'm pretty sure I'll use them at Hogwarts."

"Hogwarts?" The man asked blankly. "What's happening at Hogwarts?"Suddenly his eyes filled with comprehension. "I'm so sorry, Mr. Harry Potter, sir! I didn't know that you needed these! I'm sure the Minster won't mind since you took the portrait earlier."

"Oddly," Harry said. "I don't think he'll mind either."

"I'll just leave you to pick something out then," the man said. He seemed to be under the impression that he's upset Harry and was expecting to be turned into a toad any minute. He practically fled the room.

"He was a nice sort of fellow," Harry commented absently. "Yes, I think this broom will do nicely. It's a little more advanced than the one I learned to fly on, but they don't seem to have a lot of safe, family brooms in here." He handed Grander the other broom and looked around, making sure he's picked out the right ones. His eyes fell on an Invisibility cloak sitting on a shelf. He slowly walked toward it.

It was exactly like he remembered it--like liquid water in his hand. On impulse, he draped it around his shoulders. He heard Grander gasp behind him.

"Nice, isn't it?" Harry asked calmly, taking it off and folding it before sticking it into his pocket. "I don't think they'll miss it. Probably don't know what it does, anyway. The idiots."

Grander looked like he was going to protest, but he instead he said, "Maybe we should go."

"Right," Harry said, grabbing the broom from Grander. He knew he was being rather reckless, but now that the broom was in his hand, all he wanted to do was fly it. He contained himself, however, deciding he might be in enough trouble, sneaking into the Ministry and stealing 'ancient artifacts'. To be perfectly honest, however, he had not snuck at all. As soon as someone learned his name, they tripped all over themselves to get him what he wanted.

Harry walked out into the circular room with Grander right behind him. He wished now that the Ministry man had stuck around. He wasn't quite sure which door to take. There seemed to be more than he remembered.

He stood in the middle of the room and waited for the doors to quit spinning. Then he paused, guessing randomly the door to take. Grander followed him.

Harry opened a door and paused, taken aback.

It was like he was outside. A wind whipped by his face and the grass rippled under his feet. The trees rustled softly.

"Where are we?" Grander asked.

"I dunno," Harry said. "We're still in the Department of Mysteries..."

"We are," Grander said, looking back at the door which seemed to have opened in the air. "How about we follow the name and leave this mystery unsolved..."

"Nonscense," Harry said. "I want to see what's in here."

"Are we a thing now?" Harry heard Grander make a small noise behind him and felt an arrow tip pressed against the back of his neck. "Have the few remaining centaurs lost even the dignity of being called a people?"

"C-Centaurs?" Grander asked from behind Harry.

"The centaurs!" Harry said. "I thought you were in the Forbidden Forest outside Hogwarts!"

"Ha!" The arrow pressed harder into the back of his neck. "Do not taunt us with what was! We centaurs have not seen the true outside for centuries! You locked us in here! You and your human friends!"

"What?" Harry asked, turning around so that he could face the creature before him.

"Harry!" Grander groaned.

"Who put you in here?"

"Don't play that with me!" the centaur snapped. Harry saw that the centaur before him had a pure white horses body. Everything about him seemed white. His skin was white and his hair was so blonde that it too seemed to be devoid of pigment colors. "You did not understand our ways so you locked us up for study! Did you honestly believe that you could convince us this was the real night sky? The stars do not move! Nothings the same!" The arm trembled slightly but then it regained its strength. "I have never seen the night sky! None of us have!"

"Please be calm," Harry said. "My name is--"

"I do not care!" the centaur said. "You are all the same! Every one of you!"

"I am who you think I am!" Harry said. "I am from a different time! I--"

"I will hear none of your lies! We told you humans never to return and you did! Do you perhaps want to study the last of the Kneazel population today? Or the single remaining Nundu? They are under our protection! You cannot touch them!"

"Take us to the leader of the centaur race," Harry said. "That is not an unreasonable request."

Grander groaned behind him.

The centaur, for a moment, seemed like he would refuse. But he stiffly nodded. "Unlike you humans, we are not a hasty race. We will hear why you are here and we will judge you fairly."

He walked forward and motioned for them to follow him. Harry sent Grander a reasuring smile (he glared back) and followed.

They did not walk far before they arrived at thier destination. Harry was under the impression the room was, in fact, smaller than it appeared. The white centaur led him to a clearing. It was filled completely with centaurs and each one was as white as the first one. They all rose to their feet angrily, pulling bows out from over their backs. Harry found that he was again faced with the prospect of immenent death.

"I have brought humans here for judgement!" the first centaur said. Harry found that he was having trouble telling them apart.

"What do they want?" asked an old centaur that appeared to be the leader. He alone had not drawn his bow.

"They did not say," the centaur said.

The old centaur drew itself up to its full height and approached Harry and Grander.

"Why have you come?"

Harry took a step forward and the centaurs tensed their bows. "I am Harry Potter. I have come to ask you centaurs to come back to the forest that was your home."

The centaur let out a laugh. "Harry Potter is dead. He died in the years of my ancestors. He never cared for the centaurs. Why should you be him and wish us to return?"

"Because in my first year, a centaur saved my life," Harry said. "And again in my 5th year. I am forever in your debt. I wish you to come back to the forest that was your home for thousands of years, before the human race ever came to it. Perhaps then I can begin to repay my debt."

"That it not true!" the centaur who had brought them to the clearing said. "We centaurs do not interfere! We would have let you die!"

"Not one centaur!" Harry said. "Firenze! Do you know the name?"

The clearing went quiet. The old centaur took a step forward, toward Harry. "Who dares to speak the name?"

Harry frowned. "I am Harry Potter. He saved my life, became my teacher. I have every right to say the name."

"You are not Harry Potter!" the old centaur said. "Harry Potter died a millinium ago! He is dead! How dare you to defile his name?"

"Defile?" Harry asked blankly. "How is being who I am defiling my name! Voldemort is back! I doubt any of you remember him personally, but I do! He is back and I have returned to fight him!"

There was a moment of silence. Finally a female centaur walked forward. Harry saw Grander out of the corner of his eye blink in surprise at her appearance.

"He speaks the truth," the female centaur said. "I have heard it with my own ears."

"What is this?" asked the old centaur. "How do you know what he speaks is truth?"

"I heard the man talking about it," she said. "They came in last week when I was alone in the camp. They had come to collect and study a Streeler."

Harry blinked but did not ask. What would someone want with a giant, poisonous snail?

"They took it?" asked a man sharply.

The woman sent him a hauty look. "I was alone and they brough their devilish deviced to imobilize me. They then spoke openly as though I was not a reasoning being and could not hear. But from what I heard, the boy speaks the truth. Lord Voldemort has returned."

"Preposterous!" said the old centaur as the clearing errupted into noise. "Lord Voldemort and Harry Potter alike have been dead for a thousand years!"

"Are you calling my daughter a liar?" asked a middle aged centaur, gestering to the woman who had spoken earlier.

"She probably misunderstood!"

"I did not!"

"I think that perhaps we're missing the underlying idea here," said a younger male centaur. "Regaurdless of who this boy may be--" (Harry was rather disgruntled with the constant refrence to him as 'boy') "--he is still offering us what we have wanted for hundreds of years! A chance to go back to the forest of our ancestors!"

"Bah!" said the older centaur. "We trusted the wizards once and we got landed here in this miserable excuse of a forest!"

"I am not mere wizard!" Harry said loudly. The clearing quieted slightly as Harry shouted to be heard. He was unpleasently surprised to learn that, as they centaurs argued, their weapons that had steadily moving downward were jerked back up and aimed again at his heart. "I am Harry Potter! I know nothing of these circumstances that brought you here, but I can guarentee you that I have the means to bring you back!"

The arguing started again. Finally the older centaur called for quiet. "Just saying that you do hold such power, what do you plan to do with the other magical creatures that reside here? Are they to stay here to be poked and prodded by the wizards in their experiments?"

"I do not know of the other creatures," Harry said, glancing uncertainly at Grander. "I have not been here long enough to understand fully what has occured here."

"We were driven from our home for the convenience of the wizarding population!" said a younger centaur loudly. Harry was having trouble telling the centaurs apart as each one had a white horse body, white skin, and blonde hair.

The older centaur called for silence. "We were driven in here hundreds of years ago during the night while we were asleep and unsuspecting. There was an attack earlier that week by the goblins. The Ministry was finished messing with 'animals' such as us and decided that there was only one way to correct the problem. They moved us here and here we have stayed ever since. We are wasting away. We are but shadows of our old selves. We have been too long without the light of the stars."

So that was the cause of their whiteness. Harry felt a rising anger within him for the wizards who had locked such a proud race away like animals.

"Then it is time you returned home," Harry said. "And I will personally stand against all who dare to treat you as unfeeling animals!"

He could see hope on a few of the faces around him, but more still carried suspicion.

"What proof have you that you are who you say you are?" asked the old centaur. "Perhaps you were sent simply to bring us out from our protecting hold over the other animals here!" A few of the hopeful faces winked out.

"I--I have no proof," Harry said. "I--what?" Grander had nudged him in the back.

"You're scar!" Grander hissed.

"My scar?" Harry asked. "Oh. I suppose that would be proof, would it not?"

Harry raised his hand to his forehead where he noticed irrelevantly that he needed a haircut. When his scar was revealed to the clearing, the older centaur stepped forward, staring suspiciously at it. He stepped closer to Harry, his hand outstretched.

Harry felt the slight pressure of his hand for only a spit second before it was jerked away. "It is real!" the centaur gasped.

Mutters broke out in the clearing. Suddenly Harry saw many more hopeful expressions.

Hesitating for only a moment, Harry pulled out his wand. A few of the centaurs drew back mistrustfully.

"I can take you directly to Hogwarts," Harry said. "Or as near as I can make it with the new Apparition spells. You will then be free to do what you choose. I will not ask you to stay if you do not want to. Anyone who wishes to return may do so."

"And what about the other creatures?" asked a centaur. "What are we to do with them? The Ministry members will take them whenever they want to!"

Harry shook his head. "There is nothing I can do. I can take those native to the forest, but the others I cannot. It is not and never was thier home and I cannot take those who do not know how to survive there."

"They could learn to adapt!" said a centaur. "You can't just leave them here!"

"Make your choice," Harry said coldly. "Some of them or none of them. You have my assurance that after the threat of Voldemort is over, I will work on relocating them. There isn't a better person in all the wizarding world who can make that offer."

"You will get the other animals relocated?" asked the old centaur.

"I will."

"Then we will come with you," he said heavily. "It would be foolish to pass up such an oppurtunity to go back to our homeland. We will collect the animals we believe originated with us."

Harry turned to Grander. "Go with them. You've lived on the castle grounds. You should know what animals should go there and which ones shouldn't."

Grander sent one hesitant look at the centaurs (who had lowered their bows) before nodding. He left with those exiting the clearing.

Harry turned back to the old centaur. "I know that this will mean little, but I do apologize for what the wizards have done to your race. No one should have the right to do that."

The old centaur looked at Harry for a minute before nodding. "The humans have forgotten their place. Perhaps when we leave, we will remind them."

Harry nodded. "Of course, if you're lucky, Voldemort will do that for you."

The old centaur nodded solenmly.

Soon Grander returned, looking rather happy. Of course, he had gotten off lucky carrying a Kneazel while the centaur next to him was having to carry the Horklump. A centaur walked up to the older centaur and wispered something in his ear. The centaur's eyes fell on Harry. He gestured for him to follow him a short way away.

"Yes?" Harry asked.

"We have something of a problem," said the old centaur. "You see, we have many winged horses here, but we believe that only the Thestral is native to the forest."

"And no one can see it?" Harry asked. The centaur nodded solemnly. "Do you know vaguely where it's at? I can retreive it if that is your wish."

"It is," the centuar said, nodding. "One of my people will lead you to where they were last discovered to be." He gestured to a younger centaur. He came forward and the old one relayed the message. The younger one nodded and told Harry to follow him.

Harry complied and soon the centaur told Harry to stop. Harry was again amazed that so many creatures could live in such a small space. He gestured for Harry to look through the trees and, sure enough, three thestrals stood there. Harry pulled out his wand and heard the centaur take a hesitant step back. He took a quiet step toward the winged horses.

Three heads jerked up. Harry raised his wand slowly so as not to alarm them and muttered, "Paisible!"

Three heads went back down peacably and Harry walked calmly into the clearing. Conjuring reins (and realizing bleatedly after he had done so that he he was already using up his supply energy), he slipped them over their heads and they said hardly a word of protest. He handed one rein to the centuar who, though he knew about thestrals, seemed slightly surprised that there was a creature on the other end of reins. Harry took two himself and walked back to the clearing with them.

He was rather surprised to see that there were few creature of each race present. He asked the older centaur about it and he shook his head sadly.

"It it our belief that they keep such things as cameras on us at all times. They seem to know when the population is exceeding the 'previously set capacity' and they enter and remove those that they believe are weakest to the race. We do not know what happens to those who are taken, for they are never seen again. We have at times been forced to admit to ourselves that the creatures might, though terribly, been slaughtered. We centaurs know of the concequences and have not had one of our number taken in a hundred years. But the others..."

"Do not understand the stakes," Harry said quietly and the centaur nodded gravely. Suddenly something of what the centaur was saying clicked into his brain. "If they have cameras, then they will know we're here and we must leave as soon as possible."

"You can take all of us at once?" the centaur asked skeptically.

"I can," Harry said, inwardly cringing at the thought of using so much of this depleated supply. Still, he would not be badly hurt and by the sounds of it, something had to be done.

"The numbers are not few."

"It should not matter."

The centaur hesitated before nodding.

"Please..." Harry began.

"Firenze," the centaur replied.

"Firenze?" Harry repeated.

Firenze nodded. "It is customary to be named for one of the great centaurs. It inspires us to continue fighting."

Harry nodded, understanding. "Firenze, I will not have time to look after all the creatures of the forest when we arrive and, as I have learned in the past, the centaurs would much prefer to be left alone. But perhaps I could ask you to ensure the creatures that we place back in the unfamiliar forest can survive. As I understand it, you have been caring for these creatures since they were placed here. That dependance on their part will soon come to an end as they learn to thrive for themselves, but sometimes they may need help and I will not know about it."

"We will do what was can," Firenze said.

"That is all I can ask," Harry said. He turned to the others in the clearing and raised his voice to be heard above the noise. "We will arrive in the forest outside of Hogwarts. There I will leave you. I will be tired after the trip and will not be able to settle you in. I have faith, however, that everyone of you if far more than capable of settling yourselves."

Grander looked quite resolute carrying his little Kneazle (which had started squirming in the uncomfortable postion). Harry was sure it was because of the injustice that the creatures around him had gone through and for the breifest instant, Harry didn't see Grander standing there, but another, very familiar face...

Harry shook his head. He must be more out of it than he thought. Harry checked that everyone and everything was there and (seeing that Grander had set the brooms--and the whole reason for the trip--on the ground next to him) set to work preparing the spell that would take them there. Walking around the crowd of anxious onlookers, he drew a circle in the grass with his toe. The grass lifted back up instantly and no trace of the circle remained, but he didn't need physical evidence that it was there.

The circle was rather big, Harry noticed as he walked around them. He had no doubts that he would be able to take them there, but he was afraid he would use more power than he planned.

He completed the circle and raised his wand, preparing to cast the spell when he felt a tap on his shoulder. Annoyed, he turned to snap at the person when he realized it was Grander and he had a very serious expression on his face.

"I don't want you over taxing yourself," he said.

Harry frowned. "It shouldn't be too bad. I should simply be rather tired when I am through."

"I can help," Grander said. "And don't tell me I'm not strong enough. I survived and even contributed to that spell you placed on the castle. This spell shouldn't be half as hard as that one. Let me help. You know you're going to need it."

Harry couldn't deny the logic behind that statement, but he didn't want Grander in unnessesary danger. He had only begun to shake his head when Grander set his Kneazle down (where it stood, staring up at him) and gestured to those around him, waiting (several impatiently) for Harry to continue. "I'm not moving until you let me help you and I think these people have waited long enough."

Harry's frown deepened but he knew, inside that he would be greatly relieved for the help. Sighing, he nodded. Grander grinned at him, breaking the tension of the situation. "Knew you would if I asked!"

"Don't try anything stupid," Harry said, firmly. "You'll only serve as a conduit to help me channel the magic. You're not to try any spells of your own."

"As if I know any," Grander scoffed, but he ammended when Harry looked at him pointedly. "Don't worry about it. Wouldn't dream of it."

Harry nodded again and raised his wand. He waved it sharply, muttering, "Portatif!"

Power surged through him and he felt his feet leave the ground. He felt the power going through him to Grander and back again. To his pleasent surprise, he realized that Grander didn't seem to be in any sort of discomfort, as Harry had feared he would.

Around him the world changed and, abruptly, he was standing on the ground, feeling less than winded with the centaurs and creatures all around him.

"That was fun!" Grander said happily. "Let's do that again!"

Harry couldn't help but grin at him.