Ch 31:- Teachers.

At last, the practice session ended and various students began a half hour of free flight before it got too dark. Harry noticed Alison Linney flying on the far side of the pitch, almost above the Forbidden Forest. What also caught his attention though, was the sight of a Thestral rising above the trees in the distance and flapping off along the valley to the west. It struck a chord in Harry's mind, and he sat staring out over the forest as he struggled to make a connection to the thought that had awakened in his brain.

'Harry? Are you coming back up to the castle?'

'Harry?'

Ginny was shaking his arm and, as he turned to look at her, the connection snapped into place.

'Did you ever ask Firenze about the forest?' he asked.

Ginny looked slightly guilty. 'Erm – no. Sorry Harry, it sort of slipped my mind - what with one thing and another...D'you think he'll be there now?'

'Could be.'

They made their way down from the stand.

'We could investigate?' she suggested, as they started across the soggy grass to the castle. She had an enigmatic look on her face.

Harry hesitated, wondering if it was a good idea to go together.

'We could try,' he replied eventually, 'but we'd need to be quick or miss dinner.'

'We could just see if he's there.' urged Ginny. 'I've a divination question I can ask him, if you don't think the time's right to ask about the forest

Harry grunted acquiescence then gave a bark of laughter as a thought struck him.

'Pity we can't just read his mind.' he said, 'Do you think Legilimens will work on a Centaur?'

There was a short silence.

Ginny sighed. 'You heard.'

'From Ron.'

'I wouldn't try it on you, Harry!'

'No?'

'No point. If you can shove Dumbledore out, what chance would I have?' She glanced sideways at him. 'Did you learn it?'

'No, I never really tried, in the end.'

'We're safe from each other then?'

Harry sighed. 'Yeah - We're safe from each other.'

- o -

The light was fading rapidly as Harry and Ginny reached the Castle entrance. Clouds had obscured the setting sun and a reddish orange glow rimmed their edges giving a hint of the glory hidden in the West.

Entering the hallway, the pair turned into the corridor towards the Centaur's classroom, where torches were already flickering to dispel the dark. Under the door of Firenze's room, a gleam of bright light suggested he was basking in the rays of a different sun.

Harry knocked on the door.

There was a sudden thud of hooves vanishing into the distance as the light beneath the door dimmed, then the door opened silently.

Ginny was the first to move. She still had divination lessons, so she was used to the sudden change from the school corridor to the forest glade in which the centaur lived and taught. The light was now the soft yellow haze of a forest evening in summer. An occasional beam of weak sunlight touched the upper branches of the trees surrounding the glade in the middle of the classroom.

Harry followed Ginny into the centre of the glade, remembering the few lessons he'd had in the classroom the year before. He turned to see the rectangle of the doorway, with a flickering torch on the bare stone wall of the corridor. It was completely incongruous set in what looked like the trunk of a huge tree of indeterminate type.

Fortunately there was only that one big tree, so when the door silently swung shut Harry had no difficulty identifying the way out.

'Professor?' called Ginny. 'Professor Firenze?'

'Professor!' muttered Harry, disbelievingly.

'What's wrong with calling him Professor then?' huffed Ginny. 'He teaches.'

Harry chuckled. 'Nothing- I guess. I just call him Firenze.' He peered into the gloaming beneath the trees where the grass seemed to be shorter. 'Is that a path?'

Ginny looked in the same direction. 'Could be. I wonder where he went? The door wouldn't open if he'd gone completely.'

Harry took a few steps towards what certainly looked like a path leading out of the glade. 'Maybe this leads to his quarters, - or stable - or whatever Centaurs rest in. Most of the other teachers live next to their classrooms.'

Ginny snorted. 'Stable! - You idiot, Harry!' but he could hear amusement in her voice. She stepped past him and brushed past the bush at the start of what looked like a path. Harry followed warily behind. There was no sense of threat but the quiet of the trees was unsettling. The occasional rustle of a breeze in the upper branches didn't help to dispel the feeling of being in an alien land. The path seemed to wind around quite a bit, but still seemed to lead in roughly the same direction, at least by the angle of the occasional beams of sunlight.

It was Ginny who stopped first, and turned back to Harry.

'Have we been walking in circles?'

Harry looked at the path ahead, then turned to look back the way they had come.

He shrugged. 'Don't think so. Why?'

Ginny looked slightly exasperated. 'Think, Harry. How far have we walked?'

Harry shrugged again. 'No idea. What do you reckon?'

'Well over a hundred yards.'

'Oh!'

'Yes. Oh. - The classrooms along this corridor are no more than about 25 yards long. I thought they might have been linked together since they weren't being used, but there just isn't room in the building'

'Um – this forest just kind of sucks you in doesn't it?' muttered Harry, sheepishly.

'Only if you're not paying attention, Harry.'

Harry grunted. 'You sound like Hermione.'

'Well you're thinking like Ron.' Ginny grumbled.

'Be nice.'

'I was, I could have said you're looking like Ron.'

Ginny turned to start off down the path once more, but stopped when she realised Harry was now standing looking round at the forest.

'A "Room of requirement"?' he murmured.

'Hmmm?'

'A "Room of Requirement"; bigger on the inside than on the outside.' He turned back to Ginny. 'That one we used for the DA was actually in a wall between the corridor and the Astronomy classroom...I checked.'

'But the Headmaster set this classroom up for Firenze, Harry. I though you said he doesn't know how to open one. I didn't know there was more than one, either.'

Harry pondered the problem for some while. 'I knew there could be more than one, but not who knew how to open one.' he finally murmured. 'Maybe Firenze does, - Or maybe Dumbledore asked the school?'

'Very good, Harry Potter.'

Both Gryffindors jumped at the voice beside them. A moment later Firenze himself stepped out of the bushes beside the path. He towered over the two of them - and for a second he seemed immensely threatening - but the moment passed and suddenly he was the same palomino Centaur they both remembered from divination. He looked at them both closely.

'Ginevra Weasley - and Harry Potter. I have not seen you for several months. I am delighted to see you both.' He hesitated. 'What has happened to you face, Harry Potter?'

'My face?'

The Centaur touched Harry's left cheek.

'Oh! I was slapped, that's all.' Harry said, smiling slightly.

Firenze frowned. 'And you do not seem to mind? - Peculiar. - And who did this to you?'

Ginny blushed and mumbled something.

The Centaur looked puzzled and cocked his head to once side, questioningly.

'It was Ginny.' chuckled Harry.

Firenze looked even more puzzled. 'And yet you are talking to each other. You still seem to be friends. Any Centaur who slapped me would be my enemy for life.' He looked closely at the two of them. 'Ah!' he exclaimed. 'Would it be part of the human mating ritual?'

'No it bloody well wouldn't!' snarled Ginny immediately.

Firenze stepped back a pace in the face of Ginny's vehemence. Harry was almost as surprised, but he managed a more measured response whilst Ginny spluttered incoherently in rage and embarrassment.

'It was a misunderstanding, Firenze.' he said earnestly. 'Ginny thought I'd intended to hurt her brother and her boyfriend, but I hadn't.'

Firenze was most apologetic, however.

'I am sorry for causing you distress, Miss. Weasley. I find your human habits almost incomprehensible at times, I am afraid. Perhaps we should return to the glade and you can tell me what it is that brought you into my forest in the first place. Both nodded, and Ginny's face showed the effort she made to bring her anger under control before they reached the start of the path

Back in the glade, Harry's stomach remembered the imminent evening meal and growled loudly. The Centaur looked skeptically in Harry's direction

'We haven't got long before dinner, Firenze,' began Harry. 'We just wanted to ask you a question about the forest.'

Firenze stood motionless in thought for long enough that Harry began to think he'd inadvertently insulted the Centaur.

'Go on.' Firenze murmured cautiously.

Actually, we do have another question first.' interposed Ginny. Harry stared at her. 'What was Harry right about? Who did create this expanse of forest?'

The Centaur turned to her. 'The room was indeed provided by the school. You should know, Miss Weasley, Centaurs have roamed the Forbidden Forest since before the school was founded. We have grown with the School. - We know it, and yes, we can talk to it. I asked that the room be enlarged in this manner.'

'By how much?' asked Ginny.

'Onehundredfold.'

'Wow. That's some classroom you have here.' she muttered.

Harry wondered why the School didn't side with the rest of Firenze's herd, if it had known them so long. He didn't really want to ask though, so it was a relief when Firenze answered the question for him.

'The School was uncooperative at first. No doubt in loyalty to the rest of my herd. It didn't take long to convince it that I was the one who wished to save and nurture the students, whilst the rest of the herd wanted to attack every wizard and witch they could lay hands on.'

Harry remembered the school's longing for its students to return. Fortunately the conversation now provided an opening for his own questions about the forest.

'If you and your herd have been in the forest for so long, Firenze, perhaps you know why Dolores Umbridge and several of her co-conspirators wanted to take control of the forest and get you out?'

'Take control of the forest? – I do not know why that horrible human woman 'Umbridge' should want to take over the forest.'

'Is there some source of power in the forest?'

'Only that power that resides in the forest inhabitants - especially the Centaurs.' Firenze added proudly.

'If she had managed to take over the forest? How could she have used the power?'

'There are ways. Harry Potter, - Terrible ways, - but there are ways.'

'And you couldn't have done anything about it?' asked Ginny.

Firenze looked grave. 'Our best course of action would have been to leave, taking the power with us.'

'Where to?' breathed Ginny.

'This is not the only magical forest in this world, Miss Weasley. We would have to join our cousins in one of the other forests.' He hesitated. 'There would be bloodshed.'

'Bloodshed?'

'Indeed. We would have to take sufficient forest under our control. The other herd would fight.'

Harry was still thinking about Umbridge's plans.

'So if Umbridge ordered you out, she'd loose the power she was looking for?' he asked.

'That is the case.' confirmed Firenze.

'Pity you can't leave anyway.' muttered Harry thoughtfully.

'The way is long and hard, Harry Potter. The Centaurs will not leave the forbidden forest unless it is the only alternative to extinction.'

Ginny was obviously still thinking about the other forests.

'Where are the other forests, Professor?' she asked eagerly.

Firenze hesitated and Harry could see he didn't want to discuss the subject. Fortunately for the Centaur, the sound of the dinner bell sounded through the foliage, making the two Gryffindors start.

Firenze smiled, showing the odd, slightly canine, teeth of the centaur. 'His voice had hints of relief when he spoke.

'I'm afraid the subject of forests will have to wait until another day, Miss Weasley. I must return to my bower for my evening repast, and you must away to the great hall.'

Harry was somewhat amused by the Centaur's flowery language. Ginny just looked annoyed, but she brightened up slightly as the door to the corridor swung open to allow in the final few clangs of the dinner bell.

'Thank you Professor.' she said politely as she and Harry stepped into the corridor.

'Yeah, thanks, Firenze.' added Harry, as the door swung shut.

They both heard the sound of hooves vanishing into the distance as they turned away down the corridor towards the great hall.

'Well?' asked Ginny, as they made their way to the Great Hall. 'Are we any the wiser?'

Harry remained thoughtful. 'I'm not sure. We know there is power in the forest, and that it can only be used at great cost to the inhabitants. Perhaps that's what Umbridge had in mind when she said 'deal with'; not to throw out the inhabitants but to use them.'

'She's monstrous, Harry!'

'Yeah, and knowing her, she'll worm her way out of the trouble she's in somehow and get back into the Ministry.'

'Could be that – 'Ginny stopped as they reached the hall. They were close to being the last to enter and most of the places were taken, one was spare opposite Hermione and another down the table near Dean. Ginny and Harry stopped by the end of the table and looked at each other.

'You sit with Ron and Herms' muttered Harry.

'No it's OK, you sit with them.'

'No, you.'

Ginny was about to continue the argument when they both noticed the third year sitting opposite Ron get up and move down the table, glaring at Ron as she went. They looked at on another and shrugged.

Harry waved Ginny forward. 'You sit opposite Ron?'

'No, you.'

Harry chuckled.

'Whatever.'

- o -

Dinner was a slightly more cheerful affair than lunch. At least Ginny wasn't staring silently into her food the whole time. Harry saw her sneak a look down the table a couple of times, but decided not to show he'd noticed. She didn't really seem to care that Dean and Parvati were talking earnestly, however.

The conversation with Ron and Hermione quickly got round to their visit to Firenze.

'Firenze's is just huge!' enthused Ginny.

Several heads turned to look at her.

'What is?'

'Firenze's classroom.'

'Oh.' The heads turned away.

'How did it get that way?' asked Hermione, with a sigh.

'Apparently the School expanded the classroom to give him more room.' explained Harry.

One or two heads turned back.

'Yeah! Right.' jeered Colin Creevey.

Ginny growled. 'Next time you go in there, you'll see the path out of the glade, Colin.'

Colin laughed. 'There's no path out of the glade. I've looked for a way out of that classroom plenty of times, out of sheer desperation! – You and Harry haven't been sampling the contents of Sprout's dried herb store, have you?' He turned away, still chuckling.

Ginny was about to retort, but Harry put a hand on her arm. She spun round so fast he almost fell back off the bench.

'Eaassy Ginny,' he muttered. 'Perhaps Firenze doesn't want everyone galloping round in his forest. - Maybe he normally hides the path. - Maybe we should just shut up about it?'

Ginny relaxed slightly. 'Yeah, maybe you're right.' She looked at him slightly strangely. 'and you can let go of my arm now.'

Harry hurriedly drew his hand back, feeling thoroughly embarrassed, but she didn't actually seem to be angry.

The ensuing silence was broken by Hermione.

'It makes me wonder why you two were allowed to see the path then.' she said quietly.

Harry shrugged. 'Dunno, - but he must have felt us coming, 'cause he was gone by the time the door opened.'

'Spooky.' muttered Ron.

'Yeah.'

- o -

The next week was strange for Harry. Ginny now made a point of joining him, Hermione and Ron at mealtimes, and often in the common room. She didn't talk a lot, which was strange in itself, and her relationship with Harry alternated several times a day between the warmth of a longstanding friendship and the cool of a vague acquaintanceship. Harry found himself mirroring Ginny's behaviour, but slightly out of synchronisation, leading to considerable confusion for both of them. Interestingly enough, though, neither of them got angry. By the end of the week the swings were getting less violent, and some sort of equilibrium was becoming established. Harry was afraid he was beginning to enjoy her company way too much.

The only other significant occurrence was the appearance of Alastor Moody in Harry's classroom before the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff Third year lesson on Thursday. The class had filed in and sat down and Harry had just ordered the register to take the role when the 'clump – clump' of Moody's wooden leg sounded outside the room and he limped in and sat down at the back.

'Don't mind me,' he growled, 'Just get on with the lesson.'

Harry sighed. This was typical Moody, sit at the back and glower then expect him to perform as usual. He waited till the register had flapped back to the desk then began to explain the next spell he intended to teach. All the time, Moody sat and looked round at the students with his magical eye and muttering comments under his breath. His real eye however, was fixed beadily on Harry.

After about ten minutes, Harry altered the furniture, with the exception of Moody's chair, and started the class on the practical aspect.

In fact, the practice was going well, although none of the students had actually succeeded in raising the defence charm before Moody stood up and stumped to the door. He stopped and waited. The practice activity ground to a halt as the students turned to look at the DADA master, one by one.

'Good explanation, Mr. Potter.' rumbled Moody. 'If this lot don't get the hang of it by the end of the lesson, give 'em all a detention.' He glowered at the class for few seconds then looked at Harry again. 'Come and see me after dinner, I've a surprise for you.'

He stumped out and shut the door, surprisingly quietly.

Harry sighed once more. 'Right, you heard the Professor. Let's see if you can make his little heart happy.'

'He hasn't got a heart.'

'So cynical, Miss Linney?'

'Damn right, Mr. Potter.'

- o -

'Well Mr. Potter? Did they get the hang of it?'

'Of course, Professor.'

Moody looked sceptical. 'Really?'

Harry smiled mysteriously.

Moody grunted. 'Quite right. – They're your class, - you decide if they put the effort in.'

Harry's smile remained.

'No detentions?'

'No'

Moody shrugged. 'It looks as if you've got them well ahead of Dumbledore's new curriculum, anyway. That's impressive.' He sat down at his desk. 'From your reports, the second years are well ahead too.'

'They're coping pretty well, Professor.'

Moody gestured to a chair in front of the desk. It jumped up and scurried round behind Harry.

'Hmmm. - Sit down Harry, you make the place look untidy.'

Harry sat, then started as the chair picked him up and scurried back to the front of Moody's desk.

'Now we can talk face to face, Harry.'

More like face to half a face, thought Harry, slightly wildly.

Moody managed a smile. That worried Harry more than anything else.

'Since you're doing so well,' began Moody, 'I've decided you can help with getting the fourth and fifth years up to scratch after Christmas. The fifths especially, they've got OWLs. You can alternate them with the second and thirds.

Harry gulped. The rest of Moody's words were lost as his brain fixed on one fact, he'd be teaching Ginny. Oh dear.

Moody had finished speaking and was looking expectant. Harry started once more.

'Erm, - Yes – er – good.'

Moody sighed. 'Where did I lose you?'

Harry gulped. 'Alternate with the second and thirds?'

He waited for the storm, but Moody just chuckled. It sounded like rainwater in a rusty downpipe.

'I said, I've arranged for someone to help you with the practical work and me with the class work. They'll alternate teaching classes with you and me, starting after Christmas.'

'Er, - who, Professor?' murmured Harry. He didn't like the sound of this.

'Nymphadora Tonks. – She'll be out of hospital by then.'

Now he knew why he hadn't like the sound of it.

- o -

'Dora?' whispered Ginny.

'Yeah. She'll be fit enough by then.' Harry muttered. They were sitting at the usual table in the corner of the common room. Ron and Hermione were on a mission - on the seventh floor.

'What about - well, will it make any - what will you...' Ginny was having serious trouble putting together a coherent sentence.

Harry decided to put her out of her misery. 'It'll be interesting.' was all he said.

'Interesting!'

'I expect Charlie will be round here quite a lot. He can apparate in from his research station to the potting shed.'

'You don't mind?'

'It'll hurt a bit, - it's bound to - but things are different,' he smiled slightly. 'very different. I'll live.'

He looked up at her and was amazed to see the concern on her face.

'Thanks Ginny,' he said quietly. 'It'll be okay. Don't forget, we'll see her over Christmas anyway. Who knows what'll have happened by next term.

- o -

The final full Quidditch practice before the Slytherin game was Sunday morning. The weather was fine, for a change, though a dusting of snow on the ground brightened the landscape considerably. The hills glistened in the sharp sunlight as it slanted across the moors.

The team assembled immediately after breakfast, muffled against the cold and trying to stop their extremities from going numb. Harry had brought his two brooms and given the Firebolt to Ginny to use. Alison Linney was having to make do with her Nimbus 2000, though with her being so light, the manoeuvrability of the Nimbus just about outweighed the lack of power, at least around the stadium. Harry hoped she wouldn't have to carry out any long climbing chases.

'Right!' said Katie forcefully. 'We've got Harry back, so I want you, Colin, to get on with beater practice with Andrew. I'll be over to give you a hand after a while. Harry, will you and Ginny get going with a chaser warm up, with Ron. Alison, I'll be with you for a while. I want to run through some of the more violent blocking moves Malfoy is famous for.' She blew a whistle and jumped onto her broom.

'Come on, you lazy gits.' she bellowed, as they singularly failed to leap aboard their sticks immediately.

'Okay, Okay, Katie.' grumbled Ginny.

'Yeah. Keep your bra on!' added Andrew.

Katie scowled at him, then she took off with her nose in the air.

Harry looked at Ginny, who looked at Ron, who looked at Hermione, who looked at Harry. All four tried desperately to stop themselves from laughing – and failed.

- o -

The practice did in fact go well. The whole team seemed to have reached the stage where all the members were more than just competent in their positions. They were good, and they knew it. Harry and Ginny weren't quite as sparkling as they had been at the previous practice, but then, they weren't having a major snit, either. Harry was quite happy to accept the slight loss of sharpness and it looked as though Ginny was of the same mind. At least she'd smiled at him as she tried to knock him off his broom with her quaffle passes.

Katie was quite jubilant when practice was over, just before lunch. The team were no longer cold; in fact Harry was sweating freely and Alison was nursing several bruises. When Katie demonstrated blocking manoeuvres, she didn't hold back.

The Team Captain did have one small surprise for them all, though.

'Well done all! That was great! There's a few things we still need to polish.'

Puzzled looks were passed around. Most looks included a mouthed 'When?'

Katie looked jubilant. 'I've block booked the pitch for lunchtime,' she said, happily. 'For every day next week!'

- o -