Author's Notes: And here's the next chapter…Thanks to Wren for the sweet review!

Disclaimer: I do not own anything in the Harry Potter universe; JK Rowling does.

Chapter 2

Centurion

'Honora. Wake up, Honora. This is no time for sleep.'

'Hmmph?' Honora felt pain lace through her forehead. 'No, Grandmother, I want to sleep…' she fell over completely.

SMACK! Honora jumped to attention as her grandmother actually slapped her across the face.

'Wake up!'

'Grandmother!' Honora held a hand to her own pale face, looking up in bleary-eyed shock. 'What in the world--?'

'Polaris is under attack. We have to go down to the dungeons. It's not safe here. Now get up, for the love of Harry Potter!' Eleanor whirled through the room, her healing potions flying into an open valise. 'Now, girl!'

Honora scrambled to her feet, and then groaned as more pain went through her head. An attack on Polaris? Death Eaters? This was not good, especially for the morning of a hangover. She was still wearing her white dress from her birthday feast, but there was no helping that now. She went as quickly as she could manage into her room, and grabbed her wand (hazel, unicorn hair, eleven inches) and a heavy fur stole. It was cold down in the dungeons. She rejoined her grandmother who rushed her out the door, setting a locking charm behind her.

The narrow rock corridors were dark, echoing, and several other people were running, clutching bags of belongings, faces white with alarm. Honora felt her blood pounding through her heart, matching her racing footsteps. A sense of imminent panic filled the air. Honora began to feel scared. It looked serious. She could hear children crying, and then someone screaming. Yes, it looked very serious, although her muddled head was still confused as to what was happening.

She followed Eleanor down tight spiralling steps, down into the dungeons. The staircase would retract as soon as everyone was safe down below. In the dank, low-ceilinged space, Honora caught a glimpse of Freya and Jasper, huddled together. Half-dressed, she thought wryly. She saw Lithia, with her parents. Marlow was nowhere in sight. Nearly every other inhabitant of Polaris was there, eyes wide and anxious. Children clung tightly to their parents, sensing the chaos, the danger.

Honora had been in the dungeons before, but never had they seemed so dark, oppressive, the weight of the entire island pressing down on the rough-chiselled ceiling. They really were no better than caves, and a steady dripping of water could be heard plinking above the terrified whispers of the people.

A loud bang issued from above, causing dusty bits of rock to puff down on their heads, and Honora jumped. What if the Death Eaters get in? What if we are all killed? her tired mind shrilled at her. What if this is the end for all of us?

'Stop it,' she told herself in a hoarse whisper, not loud enough for anyone to hear. 'Just shut up.' Fear would not help her right now, so she shut it away for the time being. She plucked her way over to Freya and Jasper. 'Have you guys seen Marlow?' They shook their heads.

'Marlow Woden?' said a voice. Honora looked over and saw Coral Gideon, a witch in her mid-thirties, looking grim. 'He's the reason we're down here. He set off the alarm, that is, before he was—'

'What?' Honora breathed. 'What are you saying?'

'I heard the First talking about it to the Aurors. Marlow went above-ground, last night…why he did, I'm not sure…but that's when he saw them. Dementors, a swarm. They found us, somehow. He alerted the guards but –'

'No!' Fear swooped back in, and Honora felt her heart clench in alarm. 'They didn't, er, they didn't kiss him…did they?' her voice squeaked out, sounding for all the world like a terrified five-year old. She looked over at her grandmother, as if for comfort. Eleanor Weasley was looking at her with sympathy, grief, and something else. Was it disapproval?

'I think they did,' Coral said. 'I'm so sorry, Honora. I know that you and he were – meant for each other.'

Honora turned away wordlessly. She could not believe it. Marlow? The same boy who had professed his love to her the night before? And she had told him to 'get some air'. She felt suddenly numb. It could not be. It was not possible. Why would Marlow have done something so stupid, and gone aboveground, into the night?

Because he was heartbroken, and intoxicated, said a voice in her head. But he should have known better, the same voice continued. Honora sank down to the floor and crossed her legs. With chill horror she realised that with the Dementor's kiss, even Marlow's soul had been lost. It was terrible thing to have had happen, and it was her fault. Honora wondered briefly if she should feel guilty or responsible, and wondered why she felt neither of those things. Only an impersonal sadness and, she thought woefully, a sense of relief that it had not been her, to be kissed by a Dementor.

Eleanor Weasley slowly lowered herself down to sit next to her granddaughter.

'Honora,' she said gently. 'What happened last night?'

'I- I can't remember, exactly,' Honora lied.

Eleanor pulled out her wand. 'Legilimens,' she whispered.

With a nasty jolt, Honora felt her grandmother crawling through her mind, her memories. Honora and Freya, six years old and playing with wizard's marbles on the floor of the common hall…Honora successfully transfiguring a chair into a gopher on her first try, with a yelp of triumph…Honora and Marlow kissing, no, wait – she slammed her mind closed. 'What are you doing?' she hissed at her grandmother.

'Seeing if you're telling the truth,' Eleanor stated brusquely. 'Who's been teaching you Occlumency?'

'Julius Talbot,' Honora said. It was true; the elderly First Wizard had taken a further hand in Honora's studies when it became clear she had enormous potential. It was well-known that the Dark Lord's interrogators used Legilimency with regularity. 'And if you want the truth, fine. I started it. We had the firewhisky, and we were just talking and having fun, and then Marlow walked me back to our door. He- he confessed how much he felt for me, but I couldn't really think straight so I told him to go to bed. I thought that he did,' Honora finished, omitting the part of the story where she had told Marlow to go outside. 'That was all.'

'Foolish girl!' Eleanor scolded. 'You were leading that boy on. I can see it, plain as day. Now listen hard, Honora,' she continued. 'This is not a game. This is not a joke. You are still acting as a child, in these times of grave danger. I know you are not satisfied or entirely happy here in Polaris—' Eleanor held up a hand as Honora tried to protest this '—but you take things entirely too lightly.'

'And how is that my fault?' Honora felt herself getting angry. 'There is nothing fun here, nothing new, nothing to do with myself. Can you blame me?'

'No, I can't blame you,' Eleanor said, a little more gently. 'But you must realize something. I fear, especially now, that the Dark Lord's forces are hemming us in. Drawing closer. We are losing our centuries-old battle, Honora.'

At that moment, First Wizard Julius Talbot, the greatest wizard in Polaris, burst in the dungeon door. A few startled shrieks greeted him, but died off when the citizens saw his face.

Julius was burning with anger. His normally laid-back and kind manner was gone; instead he was radiating power and urgency. 'The Dementors are breaking through the outer defences,' he announced to the terrified crowd. 'We haven't much time. I can take off the Apparition wards, but it will allow the Dementors in. I have reason to believe Death Eaters are straight behind them. There is only one solution.' Several others nodded. 'I will remove the wards in ten seconds. It will buy us minutes, at the very most. Parents, gather your children for side-along Apparition. We go to Centurion.' Julius brought out his wand, and with a wave a number 10 glowed in the air. It turned into a 9…8…7…

Honora turned to her grandmother, eyes wide. 'Grandmother? Where is Centurion?'

'I know where it is. You'll side-along with me.' Eleanor got out her own wand. She took Honora's arm firmly in her grasp. 'Ready?'

Honora nodded.

The countdown read 3…2…1…the air filled with cracks and pops as the inhabitants of Polaris disappeared. Honora felt a squeezing, like through a tube, highly unpleasant. Just when she thought she was going to suffocate, the squeezing sensation let up and she found herself standing in a pine forest grove, surrounded by most everyone else from Polaris.

The air was cold, but then most places on Earth were cold these days. At least there was no snow on the ground. Honora looked around slowly. Tall, bare tree trunks stretched upward, capped by dull green pine branches. The trees stretched as far as the eye could see, fading to grey. The forest appeared deserted, and yet…it felt like something was watching them. She gripped her wand tightly.

With one last popping noise, Julius Talbot Apparated. He swirled around, counting heads. Seemingly satisfied, he walked out of the group and into the forest.

'Where's he going?' Freya whispered. Honora shrugged in response. She was in slight shock, and she knew it. Losing one of her best friends to Dementors, leaving Polaris, every possession and memory swept away…it was all Honora could do not to break down and start screaming. Instead, found a cold core of strength in herself, and that was all she could focus on. It may have been slightly twisted, but standing there, in an unknown forest, Honora actually started to feel a little burn of excitement.

She had never been off the island of Polaris her entire life. She had barely been allowed outside, to see the light of day. Now, everything was changing so fast and hard and it made Honora breathless.

With keen youthful ears, she picked up a sound in the forest. It sounded like hooves. Peering her head through the trees, she made out the figure of Julius Talbot with…Honora blinked several times to confirm…a centaur! A bona fide centaur! She tugged on her grandmother's sleeve.

'Look, look! I thought they were all gone,' Honora whispered to Eleanor.

'Not all, just most,' Eleanor said with a nod. 'We are at their last stronghold, far in the forests of Siberia. I'm not sure why Julius brought us here, but he must have had his reasons.'

We'll find out soon enough, Honora thought.

The centaur was very intimidating. He had black hair and a roughened expression, dark eyes darting around disdainfully at the human intruders. Beside the centaur, Julius looked war-weary and pale; it was understandable, considering his Shadow Kingdom had fallen to the Dark Lord just moments before.

A hush fell over the group of shell-shocked refugees as Julius cleared his throat. Theblack-hairedcentaur stood back, lips pressed together in judgmental silence.

A waver cracked through the First Wizard's voice, as he spoke to his people. 'I have requested asylum here, in Centurion. I'm afraid the centaurs have yet to decide on our status; I will appear at their herd's council to speak for us. If we are denied asylum, we will have to disperse to the other Shadow Kingdoms as best we can.' His words hung heavy in the air. Julius bowed, apparently having nothing more to say, and turned to follow the centaur back through the trees.

The citizens of Polaris looked around at each other gravely, some muttering in low tones of trepidation.

Their fate would be decided by the centaurs.