Disclaimer : I don't own Harry Potter, I only own the plot (and polar!)…
A/N: Okay, so I bet you were just dying to know how is it that Hermione and Polar met…. Well, you're gonna find out in this chapter…
A twelve year-old Hermione entered the Forbidden Forest, tears streaming down her cheeks…
She ran and ran until her feet wouldn't support her anymore, then stopped by a dead tree where she sat down, hugging tightly her knees.
She was silently crying when she heard a screech. It was so horrible she sat up immediately, wand in her hand, ready to fight.
It was then that she heard it. Another scream. But this one seemed more human, and it was closer to her. She listened carefully and waited. A long wail followed. This time, she didn't hesitate.
She ran in the direction where it came from.
She found herself in a clearing, where the moon's rays penetrated, illuminating a shape on the ground.
Hermione's eyes widened. She had read about these creatures.
Centaurs.
They lived in the forest and protected it, but never spoke to humans. Those who had were banned from the clan.
Hermione was pondering whether or not to go and see if the centaur needed any help –if she went and spoke to him, he could risk being banned –when she saw something. A shadow. On her left.
She slowly walked into the clearing, each step bringing her closer to the creature. Finally, she reached it and kneeled, admiring it's muscular torso.
It was then that she saw the grass was wet. Of a red liquid.
He's hurt, she thought immediately.
She scanned his body for any visible injury, but found none. She decided to turn it on the other side, see if maybe he was hurt there. The puddle on the grass was enlarging pretty quickly, and Hermione feared for the centaur's life.
She finally managed to turn him around, and gasped.
Two large holes were cut into the lower part of his torso, blood spilling from them like water from a fountain.
She quickly muttered a charm that would stop the blood. She was going to mend his wounds when a cold ragged voice asked her 'What do you think you're doing, Mudblood?'
Hermione turned around, her wand at the ready, and gasped yet again. In front of her stood a Minstar.
Minstars were another race of centaurs, only they were more cruel and killed only for the pleasure of doing so. A legend told that, when the centaurs were born, there was one, Flybol, who had a killer instinct never known before to man and beast. He was said to kill human newborns and animals of any size. Even unicorns. The centaurs disgraced him and banned him from the clan. Flybol swore revenge.
However, no one saw him again. But each month, a unicorn was killed in the Forest. By Flybol's own clan. A cruel clan that had allied with Voldemort. The Minstars, they called themselves, and anyone who ever went into the Forbidden Forest knew the dangers if they ever encountered them.
'I'm curing the centaur's wounds' she explained, her voice far from shaking. She felt rather calm, actually.
'I forbid you to do that, Mudblood. Do you know who I am?'
Hermione raised her eyebrows and was abut to retort when another voice, weaker, whispered 'Go! Save yourself while you can!'
She turned around to see the centaur's open eyes, resignation filling them. It was then that she took her decision. She was not going to let him alone, even if she had to die with him.
She got up and faced the Minstar again. 'Honestly, I don't know just who you are, but to play with lives like this, I would bet you're a Minstar.'
The creature smiled cruelly. 'Yes, indeed I am. And I will now kill you, for you have trespassed my domain.'
'Since when does the Forest belongs to someone?' Hermione asked him defiantly.
'How dare you talk to me, you filthy Mudblood! To me, Nerasco, ruler of this forest.'
Hermione smirked and her eyes began slowly –but surely –to burn with an inner flame. 'You may rule the forest, Nerasco, but you don't rule me!'
In the flick of an eye, Nerasco shot an arrow straight to her heart. It stopped, however, before reaching Hermione. She had used a protective shield.
'Expelliarmus!' yelled Hermione with all her might.
Nerasco was thrown backwards and, loosing his balance, he fell to the ground groaning.
Hermione turned to the centaur, whose eyes were wide with fear 'Are you mad? Get out of here until you can! I don't have much time, I'll probably be dead in the next ten minutes. Just go!'
She looked at him respectfully, but said 'With all due respect, mighty centaur, that will be my decision to make.'
Then, she turned her back to him once again and waited for Nerasco, who had, in the meantime, gotten up, and was slowly advancing towards them.
Before she knew it, Nerasco began galloping fast, and he hit her with impact, sending her on her back.
Hermione groaned, but stayed on the ground. She wanted to see what was to happen. Nerasco didn't come back for her. He seemed to consider her unworthy of his attention.
That was his first mistake: ignoring her.
Instead, he went to the centaur and began hissing in his ear distastefully 'You see, Polar, you're nothing. Not even your own kind want you anymore. You're pitiful and disgusting, and you deserve to die.'
That was his second mistake: insult the centaur.
Then, he got up and took his bow with the poisoned arrows, ready to shoot one last one through Polar.
He didn't have time for a third mistake.
Before his hand released the arrow, he felt a sharp pain in his back, and lost his balance. Blood began spilling out from the place where the arrow had shot him.
Hermione had shot the arrow. Not with a bow, but with magic. She had bewitched it to go as fast as possible for Nerasco's back.
Slowly, she got up and went to check on him. She couldn't feel any pulse, or any breath for the matter. With one last disgusted look, she turned her attention to Polar, who was badly injured.
She levitated him, careful not to hurt him, until they were at the edge of the Forest. There, she called Hagrid who, without asking any questions, began to heal the centaur, while Hermione was ordered to go to sleep by Dumbledore –who had come in the meantime.
The next day, as she got up, her first thought was for Polar, and she hurried to get dressed so that she could go and see him.
To her utter disbelief, Polar was actually on his feet (hoofs, more like), and was taking some hesitant steps, Hagrid watching him carefully.
'Thanks, Hagrid' Hermione told him.
'No problem, Mione' the giant answered, before retreating into the cabin, leaving the young Gryffindor and the centaur to talk.
'Thank you for saving my life, little one' Polar said.
Blushing, Hermione said 'Polar, if I may call you that' the centaur nodded 'how are you feeling?'
Smiling slightly, he said that he felt better than ever, and that's how their friendship began.
One night, Hermione went to the edge of the forest and met him, tears in her eyes. When the centaur worriedly asked her what was wrong, she told him 'I am afraid of losing my friends, mighty centaur. The threat of Lord Voldemort increases, and I know that someday, he will be again powerful. My worst fear is of losing them in a war that hasn't yet begun.'
'Don't cry, little Tiger' he said soothingly.
'I can't stop but to worry for them, Polar. What if we don't survive the battle?'
'Do not think of the future, and don't try to foresee it. Just think of the good times together, and your fears will soothe.'
Hermione nodded, not really understanding his words at the moment, but badly wanting to remember them.
She and Polar spoke for the whole night, and he told her about his clan, and how he had gotten banned because of his injury. Hermione felt sorry for the mighty centaur, and cried all the tears in her body when he told her that he had to go back to the forest.
'But, you will be alone, Polar' she said.
'I know, little Tiger, but you'll come back one day. The stars say so.'
With a determined look in her eyes, Hermione nodded 'Yes, I will. I promise, Polar, I will come back one day.'
And so it had happened that, after a last good-bye in the morning, Polar returned to the Forest, and Hermione to Hogwarts. Neither Harry nor Ron knew about the centaur, or his bond to Hermione. No one knew about it but herself, Hagrid and the Headmaster.
One day, it was a few weeks after her last encounter with Polar, Dumbledore called Hermione to his office.
'Miss Granger' he began 'Have a seat, please. I know about your friendship with the centaur Polar, and no, do not fear, I will not keep you from seeing him again. I just wished to tell you something of great importance.'
When he was sure he had all of Hermione's attention, Dumbledore went on 'Friendships between humans and centaurs are very rare, as you must very well know. And gaining a centaur's trust is even more impossible. However, I know that Polar has trusted you, anfd thus a great bond has been created between the two you. If, one day, you shall need help, he will be there, and it will be the same for you, Miss Granger. I just wanted to make sure you understood this quite clearly.'
Hermione looked into the Headmaster's twinkling eyes, and smiled 'I do, Headmaster.'
Smiling too, Dumbledore dismissed her 'Very well, then. You may go'.
Years later, when Harry and Ron had been poisoned, Hermione hoped to see Polar again. And now, her wish had been granted. But with hopes and cheery moments of the past also came tears and dreadful memories.
As she stood facing Nerasco into the Forest, Hermione remembered the bond of friendship and Dumbledore's words. And she knew that nothing could ever stop her from protecting herfriends, for she was, indeed, a tiger.
A tiger of immense power.
Well, this was chapter 5… What do you think? Now that you know about Hermione and Polar, you still don't know how the fight will end…
smirking evilly
But I do…
And if you want to know, you'd better review (at least 9 reviews for this chapter).
Tigerlilystar
