-Chapter two-

Coriolan and Canter

The sky was starry and the moon's reflection was glittering on the lake's surface. In its beams you could distinguish the silhouette of a superb animal.

"Coriolan!" called Dumbledore, "Come here!"
Coriolan came, as quickly and as lightly as the wind, and he stopped at Dumbledore's right hand. Dumbledore patted his neck gently, then he waved his wand and the stallion appeared in a bath of light. He was a bay colt, his hair was brown with tawny gleams; his mane and tail were black and untidy. Snape was full of admiration; Coriolan had a beautiful neck, powerful legs, dark and shining eyes.
"He is wonderful, Headmaster."
"He knows cold, storms, fire and pain, but he has not a very big experience. He is just four years old, after all..." Dumbledore stroked Coriolan's head. "Coriolan, you will have to go with Severus, do you understand?" Coriolan gave a clever glance to Snape. "When he tells you, you will have to come back ... "
Coriolan went straight to Snape who stroked him.
"He is in a hurry to go ... He does not know what expects him ..."Sighed Dumbledore, when Coriolan posed his head on Snape's shoulder.
"Yes ... he does not ... "Snape answered dreamily. Suddenly, something-- a noise-- awoke Snape's attention.
"Who is there?" he asked.
"It is perhaps Canter," answered Dumbledore. "Canter!"
Canter came; it was a horse, not as beautiful as Coriolan, but not bad at all.
"It is Coriolan's brother, he likes him very much. There is a link between them I cannot explain."
"It was not him, Headmaster."
"It is probably a student going for a little walk before going to bed..."
Dumbledore glanced around. "Harry, come here, please."
Harry came, rather troubled.
"Harry, Professor Snape is leaving to help the Order."
"Yes..." answered Harry, and he felt wrong not to have apologised, it was not going to be possible during several days.
"He is going to a very dangerous place, Harry."
Harry felt still worse; what if Snape was never coming back, as he was guilty towards him? But Harry was not able to apologise now, that is why he kept his eyes on the grass.
Snape had meant to tell Dumbledore he was a bit worried about Harry, but now Harry was there, it was no more possible. "It does not matter," thought Snape "there is nothing I can be reproached with now; I did as I had to."
"I will have to tie Canter," said Dumbledore thoughtfully "until you are back, he would do everything to follow Coriolan, and he would always be able to find him, but I shall need him, so... "
"Yes ..." answered Snape.
They exchanged a deep look.
"Be patient with Coriolan, even if he is sometimes... a bit annoying... "
"Do not worry, I will be patient." answered Snape heavily. He knew it was time to go.
Dumbledore untied Coriolan and tied Canter in his place.
"Good-bye, Harry," said Snape quietly.
"Good-bye, Professor," answered Harry politely.
"Good luck, Severus." Dumbledore watched Snape, and he felt reassured to see daring and determination on his face.
They shook hands.
"Good-bye, Headmaster."
"Good-bye, Severus."
Snape mounted on his horse, as easily as if he had done it during his whole life. He pressed his legs against Coriolan's body to make him move, and he noticed he was going towards Hogwarts; as he meant to leave it, he resisted with his hands and the horse stepped back. Snape made him step back a few yards, just to watch Hogwarts as he left it; then, he made him take such a narrow turn, in such a fast way that Coriolan leant dangerously. Snape slowed down and Coriolan contented himself trotting. When he was trotting, Coriolan was impressive enough. He was holding up his neck and lowering his head in such a way that the slightly in-curved line which was going from his forehead to his muzzle was nearly vertical. Then Snape gave Coriolan such an impulse ahead that he took a great gallop, and they vanished in the distance...
"Good night, Harry." Dumbledore went his way.
"'Night," answered Harry. When he was sure Dumbledore had left, Harry went to Canter, untied him and mounted on his back.
"Ahead, Canter!"
And Canter gave all his speed...
Harry stopped just a few minutes to pass in Hagrid's cabin and borrow a few things he would need. Hagrid was not there, he was probably in the Forbidden Forest. But when Harry tried to mount Canter again, he reared up.
"You ..." said Harry fiercely.
Five minutes later, he was riding away.

The morning came...
Dumbledore arrived in the dungeons.
"Good-morning to you all."
Students were worried. Why was Dumbledore there? What was the matter with Snape? But, as they had been taught to do it, they answered:
"Good morning, Professor."
Dumbledore glanced around.
"I am afraid Professor Snape will not teach you during a few days, I shall take his place."
The students nodded.
"Where is Harry?" asked Dumbledore.
Hermione and Ron exchanged a look.
"I did not see Harry this morning," Hermione whispered, "did you?"
"No, I did not," Ron answered.
"Did you see him yesterday evening?"
"I did not."
Hermione looked rather worried. Perhaps Dumbledore was, but he did not let it to be guessed; He looked as calm as usual.
"Let us begin the lesson," he said peacefully.

The bell rang.
"Good-bye everyone!" and Dumbledore swept out...
"Canter!"
He knew Canter was not going to come, he knew Harry had left with him...
"Minerva?"
"Yes?"
"Will you please tell Dedalus Diggle to teach Potions in Professor Snape's place? I am going."
"Dedalus Diggle?" repeated McGonagall "Do you think he is suitable for the post?"
"Yes, I do, Minerva, but if you prefer Mundungus Fletcher... "
"Why are you leaving?" she asked worryingly.
"Harry ran away with Canter."
"Where?"
"You know it," answered Dumbledore, "he is following Professor Snape."
Professor McGonagall went pale.
"Why?" she asked.
"He had not been invited, but he invited himself."
"You may not leave, Albus."
"Of course I can. I trust you; you will take care of everything, will not you?"
"Of course, I will," she answered heavily, understanding Dumbledore had to do something about Harry.
"Good-bye, Minerva."
"Good-bye." And Dumbledore strode off.
"Thunderhead!"
Thunderhead came. He was a large white horse, nearly as superb as Coriolan. Dumbledore mounted on his back.
"Ahead, Thunderhead!"
Thunderhead broke into a fast gallop.

After riding Coriolan a few hours, Snape stopped him and jumped down. Coriolan was tired enough, though he was not half as much tired as a normal horse should have been after four hours of gallop. Snape patted him on the neck. "Good boy," he said at mid voice, "I have never seen such a wonderful horse before."
Now Snape was lying in his hammock Fawkes came to perch on a close branch. Snape stretched his arm and stroked him gently. Fawkes gave a sweet sound to mean he was glad.
"I am happy to be with you, Fawkes," said Snape quietly. And he fell asleep.
When Snape awoke, Fawkes was no longer there. "Fawkes!" he called at mid-voice, "come here if you please." But Fawkes did not come.
Snape harnessed Coriolan, untied him and decided to go. He felt something as frustration and perhaps a hint of anger.
"A faithful animal," he mused, "I wonder if ... "
Coriolan watched him in a friendly way. Snape felt his anger fall.
"He will come back soon, will he not?"
The horse gave him a clever glance.
"He will always be able to find me," thought Snape, "let us go."
He rode the whole day.
The evening came, Coriolan's body was covered with sweat. He was breathing in a way which made Snape worry. He slowed him down and made the reins longer. He enjoyed a few minutes to see him walking slowly, his head so low that it was nearly touching the grass. They both felt calm and happy. Snape was stroking Coriolan whispering kind things:
"You are superb, Coriolan."
They arrived in a stony stream, Coriolan walked in and drank as the clear water was running to his foot.
Soon, Snape pressed his legs against Coriolan's body.
"Ahead, Coriolan!"
But Coriolan did not begin to trot. He stopped walking.
"Come on!" and Snape pressed his legs again, but Coriolan did not budge. Snape meant to hit him, to punish him. Then he remembered he had been told: "Be patient with Coriolan," that is why he changed his mind. But in any case he could not let Coriolan disobey his orders. He wished him to trot and he was going to. Snape insisted, but Coriolan did not move.
"Very well," said Snape sharply, and he got down. They faced a few seconds. Coriolan showed something as wonder, then self satisfaction.
"You're proud, aren't you?" snarled Snape.
He took Coriolan's reins and gave a good tug. Coriolan moved a bit. Snape walked swiftly and pulled the reins in such a way that Coriolan was able to do nothing but to follow him. Snape watched Coriolan with deep self satisfaction, and quickened his pace.
"That is better now."
Snape took longer strides. Soon Coriolan had to trot in order to follow him.
When they stopped and that Snape tied Coriolan for the night, the horse gave him a furious look and began to browse. He clearly did not want to watch Snape any more.
"Sulky boy," Snape muttered, annoyed. Ten minutes later, he fell asleep...
He was in a large dungeons, the walls were dimly lit by torches, far in the darkness there were shadowy faces, many of them, but he had never been so alone for long. He was feeling his courage vacillate. He was closing his mind to pain, sadness and fear. He was on the point to go to Azkaban, but it did not matter, he would overcome this horror, he would bear it; he had been defending himself for hours, but nobody had listened to him. It was lost; there was nothing else he could do.
There stood Dumbledore. His calm voice resounded in the whole room:
"I vouch for him."
Gratitude rushed in Snape's soul. Great expectations filled his mind... Now happiness was boiling in him... He was shaking Dumbledore's hand and Dumbledore was beaming at him; that is at this very moment he knew that he would always be faithful towards him. Dumbledore was his Master.
Snape awoke and glanced around. Strangely he was far from home, but he did not feel alone at all. He would never feel that alone again. He would never feel again the emptiness and the despair he had felt, because Dumbledore would wait for him, and because he was a member of the Order of the Phoenix. Then he thought of Fawkes who was not at his sides, and of Coriolan who was angry with him.
"Fawkes will come back," he thought, "at the very moment I shall stop waiting for him." Then he remembered Coriolan. He jumped on his foot.
"Coriolan... "
He rubbed Coriolan's withers and the horse stretched his neck with pleasure.
"Today you had to gallop very much, perhaps too much, but tomorrow will be less hard for you."
Coriolan looked at him.
"I promise, mate," said Snape gently, and he patted Coriolan's neck, then he put off his halter to stroke his head.

Snape was aroused from his sleep by Coriolan's fresh muzzle.
"Leave me alone ..."
But Coriolan did not mean to.
"All right... "
Coriolan insisted.
"... It is time to go."
Snape got down. He heard a very nice sound.
"Fawkes!" he called, "Fawkes, come here!"
He was happy to see Fawkes, but he was cross to have had to wait him for so long, that is why, when the bird perched on his forearm, he told him sharply:
"Where have you been, Fawkes?"
Fawkes answered with a sweet tune, then he left Snape. Snape called him:
"Come here, if you please, we are leaving."
Fawkes came back, this time, someone followed him. It was a beautiful female phoenix; her eyes were blue, and her feathers tawny with glint of gold. When Fawkes perched on Snape's arm, she settled to his side without any fear, and gave a soft cooing noise, as a dove would have done.
"She is darling," Snape told Fawkes, stretching his hand to stroke her," she counts among the fairest creatures on the earth," he added gently. "Congratulations, Fawkes."

Snape was particularly nice with Coriolan that day, but Coriolan eventually understood why: He was going to send him back at home. Coriolan did not want to go back. He liked Snape too much. Snape had great presence, he was calm and powerful as a "Master" had to be; and, in the same time, something wonderful was boiling in him -something Coriolan loved without being able to identify it. It was more than courage; it was a spiritual substance which was beyond what Coriolan could catch. Coriolan thought that, when his narrow horse's mind would stop being filled with this precious strength, he would die. So, when Snape patted his neck for the tenth time, he reared up. He was furious with Snape for sending him away.
Snape got angry with Coriolan for the first time. He jumped down.
"Away," he snarled, "you are fed up with me, just go away!"
Coriolan stared at him. Snape went straight to him and gave him a cuff.
"Away!" he repeated.
Coriolan looked offended, but Snape did not care about it. He slapped the horse on the head.
"Go away. Now!"
Coriolan ran away. Snape watched him to go. His wrath fell, but he thought he had acted for the best. Coriolan was wrong; though Snape had been kind with him, he had tried to throw him. "He's ill-bred," Snape muttered. Then he remembered Coriolan had been brought up by Dumbledore. "He is young," he thought," let us wait till he gets older and wiser."
He watched the two phoenixes playing together.
"But I will not see him for days and days ..."he mused.
Snape squatted down and stroked both phoenixes.
"Soon, we shall leave the forest... "
It meant he was going to face the darkness soon. But he was not afraid at all. He had spiritual strengths...

Coriolan was wandering alone. He was sad, he did not want to go back at Hogwarts. He knew that if he was coming back, Dumbledore would stroke him, and he would be free to go where he felt as going. Dumbledore would ride him only a few hours in the week, and, during the time left he could browse and caper in the fields. Sometimes, he would come up to Dumbledore to be given some hay. He had liked this life, but now, when he was thinking about it, he was finding it stupid and boring. He had no wish at all to go back at Hogwarts; he missed Snape, his beloved master. He felt unhappier than ever. He was going to die because he was a poor alone and bored horse. He did not mean to die. "Don't die, then," he thought, "go back to Snape."
He began to run, but he remembered Snape's wrath. Snape did not mean him to go back; he was going to hit him and to scold him. Then he thought to the sadness he was going to feel if he was not joining his master, and it became clear that it did not matter to be chidden; as long as he would be with Snape he would be happy.
He felt an impulse ahead and began to gallop.

Dumbledore stopped Thunderhead. It had suddenly occurred to him that the place he should be was the one he had just left. There was something wrong at Hogwarts, lives were threatened. He had to go back. He turned back, his horse running faster than ever. Soon, when he would reach Hogwarts, he would be sorry not to have trusted Snape enough, not to have understood nothing could happen to Harry because, when Harry would join Snape in the darkness, Snape would protect him. He would do everything to keep him safe from harm, he would be ready to die for him, even if he had never liked him.

Coriolan came back to his master. He kept his eyes on the earth and awaited his reaction. Snape did not speak to him. Coriolan had been unbearable, to be ignored was serving him right. Coriolan came closer and gave a soft groan.
"Away!" said Snape coldly, looking at him scornfully.
Coriolan gave him the frightened look of the guilty child who is going to be punished, but he dared come closer and put his head on his shoulder in a tender way.
"Bad boy!" said Snape on a scolding tone. Coriolan shivered slightly but he did not move.
"Very well," said Snape sharply, and, without any other glance at Coriolan, he began to walk swiftly. Coriolan followed him, his head lower than ever. Suddenly, Snape turned round. Coriolan stopped walking. They stood face to face.
"Still there, aren't you?" asked Snape coldly. Coriolan looked at him sadly with something as a hint of hope. It was his way to beg Snape's pardon.
"All right," said Snape gently and quietly,"... All right..."He held out his hand and stroked Coriolan's head. "I forgive you, Coriolan."
The horse watched him in awe.
They both walked peacefully for a few minutes, then Snape stopped and mounted on Coriolan's back. As soon as Snape was on his back, the horse gave all his speed. Snape pressed his legs against his body and Coriolan stretched his neck immediately in order to go still faster.
"Ahead, Coriolan!"
He galloped an hour, then he felt Snape meant him to stop running, but he did not want to obey because he did not wish to go back at home. Then he remembered Snape's anger. He stopped resisting to his hand. Snape jumped down. Coriolan was breathing especially quickly.
"Out of breath, are you, mate?" asked Snape gently. He leaned against a tree and watched his companion getting his breath back. Then he understood; he touched Coriolan's hair. It was perfectly dry.
"Oh," he said, "you are a little cheat!"
As a matter of fact Coriolan was pretending to be out of breath.
"Usually, you don't get that tired so quickly."
Coriolan did not mean to be sent back, and he was ready to do everything in order to stay with Snape a few minutes more. He had guessed Snape would wait for him to get his breath back before sending him back at Hogwarts.
"That is enough, stop acting."
Coriolan did as he was told. There was a silence. The steed was happy because Snape was looking at him peacefully. He hoped the situation would never stop. But Snape spoke. He spoke in his calm voice which made Coriolan shiver with awe.
"You think too much, Coriolan."
That was true.
"Twice more, at least, than other horses do ..."Coriolan gave a sad groan. "It could be dangerous for me... That is why you must go to Hogwarts ... "
Coriolan prickled up his ears. He knew what "dangerous" and "go to Hogwarts" meant, but he did not why he had to come back if there was a danger. He thought he had to protect his master. He watched Snape with the expression of the one who understand nothing at all about anything.
"Let me make the thing plain: You, Coriolan, are dangerous for me."
Coriolan gave an astonished look. He was dangerous for Snape?
"That is why you must go back to Hogwarts."
Coriolan did not want to believe him. He was not dangerous. He did not mean to hurt Snape... Then he remembered when he had reared up and he shook from head to foot, worried by his own behaviour. When Snape looked at him, Coriolan felt again the "spiritual presence" which filled his human's mind and made him above the poor horse he was. He lowered his head. He was not able to understand why it was dangerous him to stay with Snape, but he felt Snape had a good reason and he would never understand it; he was not clever enough; Snape was clever, he was right and Coriolan had to obey, however he would wait until Snape would ask him imperatively to leave before to go.
Snape walked up to the forest's border, Coriolan following him quietly. There, he turned and took off the horse's bridle; then he passed his hand in Coriolan's untidy forelock, again and again to make it look better. Coriolan stayed still. He wondered if he would not move to mess it up, so Snape would busy himself with him longer, but he thought Snape could dislike it and he dared not to budge. Now Coriolan's forelock was done nice. Snape stopped caring about it.
"You are a faithful animal, Coriolan." he said. Coriolan shivered with pleasure.
"Go back to Hogwarts, go back to Dumbledore, go back home, Coriolan."
Coriolan went to him and posed his head on his shoulder. Snape stroked him gently.
"Go back home, Coriolan ... Go away … Now ..."
Coriolan moaned.
"Don't moan, Coriolan, I pray you... "
He stopped moaning.
"Good-bye, Coriolan."
Snape patted him for the last time. Coriolan took a narrow turn and flew away, as he had done the first time Snape had ridden him.
"Good."
Fawkes went on Snape's shoulder.
"Let us go."
He did three steps. Now he was out the forest, he was affronting dark and cruel things, he was going to meet hatred and pain, but he was not afraid at all because the warm phoenix on his shoulder was now singing confidently.

Coriolan was thinking. It was dangerous him to be with Snape out the forest, before it was not. Why would he go back home? He just had to wait for Snape in the forest. Then, after longer thinking he reckoned he could leave the forest, as long as he was not going near Snape. He wanted to understand why the place was so dangerous and why it would make him dangerous. He turned back, then, with a last glance around him, he walked out. Now he was three steps out the forest, he felt as he had never felt before. Everything was dark, cold and cruel around him. Despair and fear filled his mind. He remembered the more painful things he had ever lived. He recoiled ... He was again in the forest, his body was covered with sweat, but now, he knew.

Harry wanted to tie Canter and to have some rest, but he reared up and he resisted more than ever. Harry understood how near Coriolan was, mounted again on Canter's back and let him go. Canter galloped, Harry leaned on his neck and grabbed his mane. Soon they would catch Coriolan...
They reached the forest's border. Harry felt Canter meant him to get down. He jumped down. It was wise from him, if he had not Canter would have thrown him. Canter ran to Coriolan who had been waiting for Snape for three days. He put his head on Coriolan's withers and sighed with satisfaction. For a few minutes they exchanged marks of affection, then Coriolan glanced out the forest, he knew Snape would come back soon...
Harry understood the horses would not come with him. He stroked Coriolan and patted Canter's neck.
"Good-bye, Coriolan, good-bye, Canter."
And he walked out the forest, straight in the darkness...