Chapter 14: Dreams Come True

Naomi stared wide-eyed at Harry, looking petrified. She tried to pull away, but Harry didn't let go. She turned her head aside so she wouldn't have to look him in the eye.

"Let me go--please," she whispered.

Without really thinking, Harry threw her away from him. She regained her balance and stared at him, looking hurt that he wouldn't let her explain.

"Leave." Harry said acidly. "Just stay out of my life."

She looked fearfully at him for a moment before turning and running out of the classroom, her face in her hands.

Harry stood there, fuming. He couldn't believe he had trusted her. Just then Ron and Hermione burst through the door.

"Harry, what happened? Naomi just ran past, crying her eyes out over something-she wouldn't stop when we tried to talk to her," said Ron.

Hermione looked at Harry's expression then said nervously, "What happened? What did you do to her?"

"What did I do to her? Is that what you want to know?" said Harry furiously. "Hermione, she has the Dark Mark on her arm, and we trusted her this whole time!"

Hermione looked horror-struck. "Harry, what did you do to her?"

"I told her to leave and stay out of my life! Do you have a problem with that?" said Harry fiercely.

"Harry! How could you? You didn't even let her explain, did you?"

"What's there to explain? She had the Dark Mark on her arm, Hermione!"

Ron hadn't said anything since he came into the room. He was very pale, and was just staring at Harry and Hermione as each one spoke.

"Harry, I can't believe you! You have no idea what her life is like-"

"So her mother is dead! So what? She's still got a brother, sister, grandfather-"

"Her grandfather is dying, Harry! You're being-"

"I DON'T CARE IF HE'S DYING! SHE STILL KNEW HIM, DIDN'T SHE? SHE STILL HAD A BROTHER AND SISTER-"

"WILL YOU JUST SHUT UP AND LISTEN TO ME?"

Harry was still in a towering rage, but Hermione's seemed to be greater than his own.

"FINE! Tell me what you've got to stick up for her! I'm listening!"

"Harry, you think that no one understands you, no one understands what your life is like, never having a proper family. Well, I don't know if you ever realized it, but out of all of us, Naomi understands you best! She even has it worse than you-"

"She HAS a family!"

"I TOLD YOU TO LISTEN TO ME!"

Harry shut his mouth.

"She knew her mother, but her mother died. That makes the pain worse, that she had a relationship with her before the death. Harry, she doesn't know if she's an orphan or not. She knows her mother is dead, she saw her being murdered. She doesn't know if her father's alive or not. He was a sea captain; he sailed off one day and never came back. She doesn't know.

"Her brother and sister were kidnapped a few years ago when a few Death Eaters returned to the island. She had to watch while they were taken away. She couldn't do anything. She doesn't even know if they are alive anymore.

"All her life she's felt helpless, don't you see? She watched her mother's death, and she couldn't do anything about it. Her father disappeared, and she couldn't do anything about it. She watched her brother and sister being kidnapped, and she couldn't do anything about it. Now, her grandfather is dying, and she can't do anything about it.

"She's mostly scared because she will have to take over her people when her grandfather is gone. Her brother would have been the one to do it, but he's gone."

"I don't care how bad her childhood was! She's got the Mark, Hermione!"

"I was just getting to that! Now, when those few Death Eaters came back to the island, she sneaked to their camp to try and see what they were up to. There was all kinds of Dark Magic things all around, and she managed to get almost to the main part of the camp when she saw one of the Death Eaters coming. She started to run, but tripped and fell over a crate of Dark weapons. Her arm was pressed against a sword that had the Dark Mark engraved into the hilt, and it burned the shape of it into her arm. She's not a Death Eater and she never will be. She hates the Dark Side more than anything. Especially the Malfoys, as they were the ones who took her brother and sister, and they also were the ones who murdered her mother."

Harry was silent. He couldn't believe himself. He couldn't believe that he actually thought she would be a Death Eater. He sank down onto one of the desks.

"I should have trusted her. I should have known she wouldn't be one of them..."

"Harry," whispered Hermione, "You should also know that...she loved you."

×××××××

Naomi didn't pause to talk to Ron and Hermione. She didn't care if they worried about her. No one wanted her, anyway.

She ran through the entrance hall and out onto the darkening grounds. She turned and fled into the Forbidden Forest, thinking, I don't care if we're not allowed in there. I don't care if it's dangerous.

She ran on and on, dodging trees, bushes, and rocks that were in her way. Soon she was so deep in the forest she could hardly see. Gasping for breath, she tripped over a tree root and fell to the ground, sobbing into the soft carpet of moss.

×××××××

"...What?" Harry was sure he had heard Hermione wrong.

"Since the first time she saw you. It wasn't just a stupid crush, she literally loved you."

"And I just did that to her..." Harry stopped his pacing and put both hands against the wall, resting his head on the cool stone. "That's what my dream meant. Malfoy hurt her first, and I saved her, then I just turned around and hurt her just as badly."

Hermione looked like she didn't know what to say. Finally she settled on, "Well, I guess we'd better go find her...any ideas?"

"Maybe at Hagrid's?" suggested Ron.

"I don't know...I think she left the school grounds...THE MAP!" Harry shouted excitedly.

"What?" said Ron and Hermione together, looking up at him.

"We can see if she's still in the Hogwarts boundaries by using the Marauder's Map!"

He dashed up to the dormitory and got the map, then sprinted back to the empty classroom. Gasping for breath, he tapped it with his wand and said, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

The map of Hogwarts appeared on the parchment, and Harry examined it closely. Most of the dots were in the Great Hall, but some of them were elsewhere. He examined each one that wasn't in the Hall and didn't see Naomi's name anywhere on it. He moaned.

×××××××

Naomi heard voices, but did not open her eyes until she felt strong arms scooping her up and sitting her against a tree. She looked around and choked back a scream.

Centaurs were staring at her, five of them. They were all watching her with interest, and suddenly the one who had picked her up cried out, "The stars told us of this! It is the girl!"

She looked around and saw that the one who had spoken was wild looking with black hair and a black body. "E-excuse me?" Naomi said weakly.

"We read from the stars ages ago that a raven-girl would come to us. And here you are!" The one that had spoken this time had red hair and a matching beard, with a chestnut body and red tail.

"Wait!" another centaur had come forward. This one had long, light-brown hair that was tied back. He looked like he was a bit younger than the chestnut-bodied one, but he seemed to be one of the strongest of them. He had a light brown body and had a quiver of arrows slung over his back, like the rest of them. He gripped his bow very tightly as he said to Naomi, "Where do you come from? Did you come from the school?"

"Y-y-yes," she whispered, terrified of what they might do to her if she said it.

Several of the centaurs reared up angrily. The brown haired centaur said loudly, "Then you have profited from the traitor Firenze's teachings!"

"Who? I don't know anyone named Firenze..."

"Do not lie to me!"

"I swear! I'm not lying, I-"

"What year are you in at the school?" said a centaur with a soft, gentle voice. Naomi turned and saw that this one had darker brown hair that was streaked with gray and a cream-colored body. He was looking at her with curiosity and kindness rather than anger, and she felt calmed by it.

"Sixth."

"Then last year you were taught by Firenze!" burst out the centaur with light-brown hair.

"No I wasn't, I don't know anyone named Firenze. Kill me if you think I'm lying."

The centaur with the kind eyes slowly walked up to her and looked into her eyes. "She is telling the truth. The eyes are the windows to the soul. I see that she is truthful-I see it in her soul."

All of the centaurs calmed at this, and the young one with light-brown hair said, "If you say so, father. We believe you."

The kind centaur nodded. "You must learn to control your anger, my son." then he turned to Naomi. "My name is Bentain. I am sorry for my son's behavior, but he had yet to learn the lesson of trust."

Bentain's son nodded. "I apologize. My name is Kenthar, by the way. This is Ronan-" he indicated the red-haired centaur "-this is Bane-" he gestured toward the one with black hair and body "and this is Argorath." he pointed to the last centaur who hadn't said a word yet. He was very tall, had shoulder-length black hair, and had very a very dark brown body. He just looked down at Naomi and said nothing. His eyes were dark blue and he had a rather sharp-looking nose.

"Come," said Ronan. "You must see our village."

×××××××

Harry had his face in his hands, thinking wildly of what he was supposed to do now. "That's it," he said slowly. Then, "THAT'S IT! Why didn't I think of it before?" He spun around and left the room, a confused-looking Ron and Hermione following him. Harry sprinted through the corridors, headed for Dumbledore's office.

Just as he rounded a corner, he crashed into someone.

"ARGH!" Both Harry and the person he ran into shouted in pain. Then the person spoke.

"Oh, Harry! It's you! I was hoping to find you." It was Luna Lovegood. She reached down to help Harry to his feet. "Where were you running to in such a hurry?"

"Dumbledore's office. Naomi ran away and I have no idea where she's gone."

Luna looked thoughtful for a moment before saying, "Oh! I saw someone running across the grounds, toward the Forbidden Forest...do you think it was her?"

Harry's eyes widened. He grabbed Luna by the arm and said, "Come with me!" He dragged as fast as he could up to Dumbledore's office. Luna regained her balance as Harry shouted, "Pepper Imps, Pepper Imps!"

The gargoyle moved aside and Harry ran up the stairs with Luna. He heard Ron and Hermione behind him. When they reached the top, Harry burst through the door and found Dumbledore sitting at his desk, reading a letter with a frown on his face. He started and looked up as Harry entered. Then, noticing the urgency with which Harry had entered, he stood up and said, "What has happened?"

Still panting, Harry explained everything that had happened since the Quidditch match. Luna watched him with a curious expression. She hadn't heard the full story yet.

When Harry had finished, Dumbledore turned to Luna. "Do you know where Naomi has gone?"

"I saw someone running across the grounds towards the forest, but I don't know if it was her."

Dumbledore looked extremely worried. "We must hurry. If she is in the forest I fear the worst. I do not believe there is a creature in there that would stop to help a human."

Hermione let out a small sob and leaned into Ron's arms. He normally would have looked quite awkward at this, but under the circumstances he held her close and whispered that it would be all right.

Harry swallowed and asked, "Will she be okay?"

"I do not know, Harry," said Dumbledore gravely. "However, I believe our best chance is to turn to the centaurs for help."

"But they don't like humans, they'll never agree to-"

"We must try."