A/N: I'm so sorry people. I went on vacation to DC to see my friend graduate from college and when I got back I lost my steady work force and not to mention my train of thought. One of the only reasons I was able to get this chapter out was by reading back over the reviews. You guys have no idea how much they mean to me. Enjoy.

A/N 2: Thanks to: Anne79 (Yes I did know, and that's one of the reasons this fic is listed as AU. I swear that other than the fact that she won't be paired with anyone in that class the year has no effect on the story line. I could just as easily stated one year later and have done with it. So really, no big), mysticallove, gaul1, Anne, Just Me (Really…thanks, and I'm sorry to say that it's going to be quite a wait but I promise to write it), onlimain (when I eventually write it, it will be like a memory or flashback), Allen Pitt (right on the money with Sirius…but in three), godessa39 (I made him up, and to be honest I didn't even remember that that was what Hagrid named his dragon…but then I thought of a way to incorporate it into the story so…no big. I am surprised that no one called me on it though), chazza, Jay, Musings-of-Apathy (I promise everything will be explained eventually), Nomanic, and Sarah.

xoxox

England, May 2012.

"This is not good Marius."

"I know. It has been long in coming," the calm, deep voice echoed in the clearing.

"Is there nothing we can do?"

A tired sigh was his only response. They knew what was coming. It was only a matter of accepting the inevitable. The two stood in silence out of respect of what they had discovered, the only sounds those of the forest and the soft thudding of hoofs shuffling against the ground.

The third, the youngest and still considered a child, looked on and remained silent, his tongue pressed hard against his teeth in an attempt to keep the words from spilling from his lips. Words of protest at the thought of doing nothing. But it was not the centaur way to interfere. They had remained passive observers throughout the centuries, never partaking, only watching.

"How much longer?"

"Do not worry yourself of what is to come Kestil. What will be, will be."

The younger bowed his head at the wisdom of the elder and held his peace, his gaze drifting back up to the sky that had guided them to this moment in time. Such an odd discovery that would urge them to this end. Come what may.

As he was prone to do, because of his youth and impatience with what is, the youngest began to drift away from the other two and their contemplation of the stars that had set them on this path of self-destruction.

The clearing was not a large one, and was one of the few that could be found within the forest boundaries. The radiance of the full moon was the only light that shone, illuminating the bare ancient stone alter in the middle of the clearing, but this night, the stars were exceptionally bright and the clearing was lit almost as if it were daylight.

But in this clearing, at this time, the youngest was bored. Not truly old enough to be considered an adult, but no longer truly a child, he was balanced between the two and at times it felt like it was ripping him apart.

He was constantly berated for being distracted for the beauty of the now instead of the possibilities of the future. But he couldn't help it. The world held so much wonder in his young eyes and there was so much he wanted to see before he was forced to watch the sky for what was to come like all the others had.

There were no words to voice what he wanted to say. For the centaurs were a people set in stone, slow to change and resistant to the new. They wouldn't understand his desire for the moment. They wouldn't understand his love of the now. They who were stuck in the future and its many possibilities.

He wandered away from the alter and the two adults with their eyes glued to the stars and made his way to the edge, stepping a lightly as possible. It wouldn't do for one of the adults to notice his actions if he didn't want to be reprimanded for his lack of concentration.

The sound of the snapping of a twig cracked through the clearing, shattering the silence, but he was the only one who reacted to the sudden noise.

He shot them a quick glance, but from their relaxed postures and unconcerned gaze, it was as if they didn't hear it. But that was impossible.

His eyes scanned the darkness of the forest but saw nothing.

All was still.

His tail twitched as he gazed into the darkness, searching. Something felt off.

Something felt…

He was rammed to the ground and fiery pain raced through him as a clawed hand scoured deep gouges in his back. He landed awkwardly, his arm twisted beneath him and he heard a sharp, sickening crack as the bone gave under their combined weight. Pain ricocheted through him as he twisted in a panicked attempt to get his hoofs under him to stand, but the thing pressed heavily against him, restricting his movement.

His motions slowed and with one final grunt of effort he stilled.

And did nothing.

He didn't even move when the thing got off him.

He only laid there wide eyed. Paralyzed.

His eyes drifted shut and he vainly attempted to distract himself from the pain that was radiating from his arm and back. Without the ability to look around he couldn't even see what was going on behind him. He didn't know if Marius and Kestil were alright.

Oh bright stars let them be alright.

His mind was clear but he was beginning to feel sleepy. The venom of the creature was working its way through his system, slowly shutting down his body's natural functions. And he was slowly dragged down to unconsciousness by the pain and fear.

The first thing he became aware of was the lack of pain. There wasn't even a twinge anywhere. And considering the pain he felt when he lost consciousness that was saying something. The second thing he noticed was the pleasant taste of fruit in his mouth, a taste he had always enjoyed but rarely gotten a chance to partake in. If he didn't know any better he would have thought the entire thing had been a dream, but that notion was quickly cast aside when he opened his eyes and saw that he was still in the clearing with the stone alter.

But now there was something dead at the base of it. It was truly hideous. A clawed monster that resembled the giant spiders that resided in the darker parts of the woods, but that comparison only went so far. It had eight legs, yes, but also stood like a man. It was a light grey color that matched the stone of the alter at first glance. But when his gaze drifted lower he saw that its lower arms that were splayed across the ground matched the coloring of the grass it rested on. It was a creature with the ability to camouflage itself to blend in with whatever it was standing near. No wonder he hadn't seen it.

His head jerked around at the sound of raised voices and he slowly stood, remaining in the edge of the clearing, trying not to draw attention to himself lest they turn on him.

The argument had clearly been going on for some time and it was the first time he had seen his teacher in such a state of rage.

"What are you doing? It was my time!" Kestil shouted.

It was a small human woman he was yelling at in his anger. She stood there calmly facing him down, a look of icy disdain on her face. In hand she clutched a weapon of exquisite beauty that was clear to see even from were he was standing. She held it like it was a part of her, merely an extension of her arm.

"You fool," she spat out. "Have you really become so fatalistic that you were just gonna wait for your death? You have to fight! Even if there's no hope."

"You don't understand."

"Of course I understand!" Kestil snorted in clear disbelief at her assertion. "You don't believe me? You think I don't know what it is to foretell your own death? You're a fool! The centaurs are spoken of as a wise race, but all I see before me are squabbling children!" She glared at them both, "Nothing is set in stone! Not even prophecy. And you should know that."

The eldest was pushed to the side by Kestil, who in his anger was unable to see anything other than the small woman who instigated such fury in him, "Your kind aren't welcome here," he snorted angrily.

"Are you really going to let yourself be ruled by the prejudices that destroyed the wizarding world?" She mockingly shook her head, "And I thought you were above that."

Uncontrollable rage rolled through Kestil, and for the first time in his life he felt like lashing out in anger at another creature. The control he had strived to maintain throughout his life was gone at her words and he was unable to rationally hear what she was saying. He pushed past Marius and moved in closer to the human, towering over her small form. "You know nothing!"

"I know more than you think."

"Kestil!" Marius shouted in a futile attempt to reign in the younger centaur's anger, "This is getting us nowhere."

But he didn't respond, only stepped in closer, trying to push her back and intimidate her.

She rolled her eyes, "You know, I could probably find a spell that could disintegrate you into less than ash," she said offhandedly. Her expression turned thoughtful, "I wonder what 'less than ash' looks like."

"You don't scare me Slayer."

"Oh really," her voice turned hard, "That note of fear in your voice says otherwise."

"Enough." Marius reared back on his hind legs and slammed them back into the soft earth trying to separate the two angry beings. "We are getting nowhere by arguing in this manner." He paused looking between the two of them, his arms outstretched as a physical barrier to keep them apart. He turned his attention back to Kestil wanting to be sure that he would take no more rash actions. This night was quickly becoming a disaster, and he had seen things he had never thought to see. Like his old student losing his temper at the cutting words of a mortal. To lose the balance of self was to lose the connection with the stars. And that was something that could not be risked.

Finally assured that the younger centaur would remain in place he turned to the young woman. "Why have you come here this night Slayer? The centaurs have no quarrel with you. We have let you roam these woods which we have claimed as ours without protest. You have been given greater leeway than we have ever granted anyone. You have been free to go where you would because we know what you are and what it is you do." His tone turned brittle and his eyes darkened as he continued, "But here, in this place, you have interfered in something that was meant to be, and in doing so have irrevocably changed the course of events that have been destined to come to pass."

She cut him off with a lazy wave of her hand clearly unmoved by the words he had spoken, "First, you're right. I've got no problem with the centaurs. I never had. I stay out of your way, you stay out of mine. I know the score. But this," she gestured to the stone alter and the creature crumpled unmoving at its base, "this goes outside that." She gave him a hard look, "And you know it."

"We had everything under control," Kestil spat out from over Marius' shoulder, trying to get around the elder.

She rolled her eyes, "Right, you had everything so under control that you were all going to die. I see. Brilliant plan there. But from the looks of things, it wasn't you that was supposed to die." Her gaze drifted over to the forgotten centaur child standing in the shadows, ignoring the sharp gasps that confirmed her suspicions. She studied him with pity in her eyes. Not pity for the child, for that would have been degrading, but pity for the fact that the people he trusted were so eager to hand him over to death in the name of destiny. She turned her attention back to Marius and Kestil and her tone turned mocking, "I'm glad that the centaurs have become so reproductive that they are able to sacrifice their young in the name of the stars."

"You have no idea-" Marius began.

"Don't I?"

"You think you know all?" Kestil shouted. "You know nothing!"

"Let me tell you what I do know." Her tone was absolutely poisonous and her glare was enough to make them fear for their lives. It cut through the fury and the rage that was clouding their minds and ever so slowly, fear began to take root in their minds as they truly realized who it was that they were dealing with.

The Slayer.

As she continued speaking they found that they could not tear their eyes away from her powerful gaze no matter how they tried, "Your unrelenting belief in the stars and the truths that are written in them will cause your downfall. Not because they lie, but because it's you, fallible creatures, that are attempting to interpret their message. If your predictions are so correct, I wonder why the powers felt the need to warn me of your actions in one of their, oh so fun, pain filled, slayer dreams."

"You have a responsibility to your young and you broke that sacred trust tonight. I only hope that one day you can regain your standings in his eyes."

She turned and walked away when Marius called out to her, "Slayer, dark times are coming, and there is nothing you can do to stop them."

She didn't bother to stop, "You don't think I know that? What the hell do you think I've been doing these past years? Planting daises? Dark times always come."

This time she did stop and look back at him, "And I'll always be here to stop it."

And through it all, the youngest watched with newly opened eyes that saw the possibilities. Not the certainties.

Tbc…