Ron and Hermione sat in the Gryffindor common room trying desperately to keep Ginny as calm as possible. They had tried to get her to take a calming draught from Madam Pomfrey when they took Malfoy to the hospital wing, but she flatly refused. Professor Dumbledore had met them there and gotten the full story of what had happened. Even he seemed uneasy about the situation.

Professor McGonagall walked thought the portrait hole, and walked directly to the three of them and said, "I've just come from the Headmaster's office. You should know that he has had to inform Mr. Malfoy's mother of the incident, and she has filed a complaint with the Ministry of Magic. There will be representatives from the Ministry arriving soon to investigate the situation. They will of course want to speak with all of you to find out what you know."

"But what about Harry?" Ron asked. "Is anyone trying to find him?"

"Professor Dumbledore is handling that matter as we speak," McGonagall said. "No doubt that it won't take the Ministry long to decide to organize a search for him themselves. We'll do everything we can to prevent them from finding him though."

"Does Harry really have that much to fear from the Ministry?" Hermione asked.

"I'm afraid so," McGonagall said. "Once they start talking to people and finding out how powerful he has become, the fact that he has already attacked another student will be all they need to deem him a threat and who knows what they would do with him after that."

"You don't think they would send him to Azkaban do you?" Ron asked.

"I would say that it all depends on how far Mr. Malfoy decides to push his complaint once he wakes up," McGonagall said.

"Would you please ask Professor Dumbledore if I can go into the forest to look for Harry?" Ginny asked as she wiped more tears from her face. "I can't leave him out there alone. I just can't stand the thought of it."

"Easy child," McGonagall said as soothingly as she could. "As I said before, Professor Dumbledore is already sending someone to look for him that knows that forest much better than you do."

Hagrid had been searching the forbidden forest for a full two days in search of Harry. He had to admit that no other creature he had ever tracked in the forest had ever given him so much trouble. If he hadn't been assured otherwise, he would have sworn that Harry hadn't ever come into the forest at all. He knew he had though. He was only more cunning and better at covering his tracks than most. He was one quarry that did not want to be found.

"You waste your time, Hagrid," Magorian the centaur said, making Hagrid jump in surprise.

"Magorian," Hagrid said.

"You were told to stay out of the forest the last time," Magorian said.

"I be lookin for…" Hagrid began.

"I know what it is you are looking for, Hagrid," Magorian said. "He was seen when he first entered the forest."
"Ya knows where e is then?" Hagrid asked.

"Actually, no," Magorian said as if not wanting to divulge a weakness. "He has proved almost as difficult for us to track as he has for you."

"Thas 'arry all righ'," Hagrid said. "Got ter find im before them fellas from tha Ministry."

"I'll tell you what I know if it will get you out of the forest any faster," Magorian said. "I don't know if it will do you any good or not though. Even the centaurs haven't been able to get close to him yet."

"Jus tell me wha ya know," Hagrid said.

"He was last seen about a kilometer due south of here two hours ago," Magorian said. "Then he disappeared, and none of us has been able to pick up his trail. I was sent back this way to see if he had turned north, but there has been no sign of him. That would leave only one direction that was not already being watched. I believe he would have headed east."

"I thank ya fur yur 'elp," Hagrid said with a slight bow.

"Don't thank me too soon," Magorian said. "You may yet encounter more of my kind who are not so inclined to tolerate you being here."

Hagrid set off Southeast with the warning clear in his mind. There were many creatures that he would have shrugged off such a warning from, but the centaurs were not to be taken lightly even at the best of times.

The next afternoon, Hagrid was beginning to wonder if Magorian had possibly given him false information to throw him off track. He shook that thought away quickly though. There was no reason why the centaurs would want to keep Hagrid from finding Harry first. They didn't want any humans in the forest, and he had no doubt that they would do anything they had to, if it would make them leave.

Hagrid stood on a small ridge and surveyed the land before him. The wind changed suddenly, and it was only a few seconds later that he smelled it. It was unmistakable. Hagrid proceeded slowly as he followed his nose in the direction of the smell. He found the source just over a hundred yards away.

Hagrid bent down and looked at the remains of what was undoubtedly an extinguished campfire. He knew that there was only one other creature in the forest other than himself that would have built it. Harry had been there. Hagrid put his hand down on the earth that has been thrown onto the fire and felt that it was still slightly warm. He couldn't have been far away.

A few broken twigs was all Hagrid had to give him a clue as to which way Harry had gone after he left the campsite. So, Hagrid headed north. He moved slowly, as he watched for small occasional signs that he was still on the right track. The clues were few and far between, but Hagrid quickly became better at reading the few signs Harry left. Several times, Harry had changed directions for irregular lengths of time. It was almost as if he knew that he was being tracked, and was purposefully trying to shake his pursuer.

Hagrid didn't give up though. If anything he became more determined to catch Harry. He searched for the remainder of that day and straight through the night, and in the afternoon of the next day, Hagrid finally stopped for a much-needed rest. Hagrid sat down on a large rock and leaned against the tree that was next to it. He had gone three days without sleep, and he was in desperate need of some rest. He closed his eyes as he tried to catch his breath and let his sore muscles relax.

Hagrid rested there for several minutes, and was just about to fall asleep when he heard a familiar voice say, "Go back, Hagrid."

Hagrid's eyes snapped open to see Harry standing close by and looking as if he too had gone without sleep for far too long. It took a moment for Hagrid's head to clear and realize that he wasn't dreaming.

"'arry!" Hagrid exclaimed.

"You have to go back to Hogwarts, Hagrid," Harry said as he leaned on a nearby tree. "You have to stop following me."

"Can' do tha 'arry," Hagrid said. "Been sen' ter bring ya 'ome."

"I can't go home, Hagrid," Harry said. "I can't take the chance that I'll hurt anyone else again."

"'ave ya hurt somen' since ya been 'ere in the fores', 'arry?" Hagrid asked.

"No," Harry answered.

"Then wha' makes ya think yer gon' ta 'urt somen' at Hogwarts?" Hagrid asked with a grin.

"I already did, Hagrid," Harry said. "You weren't there. You don't know what it was like. I was out of control. I was a monster."

"Humph," Hagrid snorted. "Some 'ave called me tha' before, 'arry."

"This is different," Harry said.

"Codswallow," Hagrid said before Harry could say anything else. "Yer as good as the come, Harry. Yer me frien', an I don' think yer a monster. There's still more believes tha' back a' Hogwarts. Poor Ginny's beside 'erself with worry 'bout ya."

"Do you think it doesn't kill me to leave her like this?" Harry asked. "I can never forgive myself for hurting her the way I did."

"Tha' kind o' pain she can take," Hagrid said. "She won' be able ter stan' much more o' wha' yer puttin' her through now though."

"He's right, Harry Potter," Magorian said as he stepped into view. "You are causing a great deal of distress to those back at Hogwarts, as well as to those of us who live here in the forest."

"I haven't done anything to any creature here in the forest," Harry said.

"Haven't you?" Magorian asked. "Do you not know that there are officials from your Ministry of Magic that have begun to comb the forest in search of you? It is distressful enough to have the two of you in the forest, but fifty is totally unacceptable to us at any time."

"I'm sorry," Harry said. "I never meant to cause you or your people a problem. I didn't think they would come here to look for me."

"A large error on your part I think," Magorian said. "You should know that the name of Harry Potter is well thought of here in the forest, even though you are a human. It is very disappointing to us to see you run away from your problems instead of facing them with the bravery that we have attributed to you in the past."

"You don't even know why I ran away," Harry said.
"The reason is not important to us," Magorian said. "It is the action that counts. It is very important for us all that you return to Hogwarts. We have foreseen it."

Harry stood and looked at Magorian in silence for some time considering what he had said. Could it be that the centaurs had foreseen his battle with Voldemort? They usually took no interest in human affairs, so why was it so important to them that he return to Hogwarts? Deep down, he knew that it was important to his friends. He was the boy who lived. What would happen to them if he weren't there to try to defend them against Voldemort? Could he ever forgive himself for that?