Hello everyone, I hope you're all keep well out there. Thank you for all the lovely comments and reviews for this story, I've loved reading them all. Here is the latest chapter, it ended up being more angsty then I originally planned but I try to just go with the flow as I write. Hopefully you all enjoy it

Chapter 5

Harry could hardly wipe the smile off his face for the rest of the day. He briefly fell into worry, thinking about what Voldemort would be doing out in the wizarding world for a year while they were trapped but Hermione put a quick stop to that.

"There is absolutely nothing that we can do about it while, we're here, so there's no point worrying." She'd reasoned, using her well-practised logic. "I'm sure Dumbledore will manage Voldemort and be working on a plan to defeat him."

Harry was comforted by Hermione's words, mostly because they were true. It was a very novel experience for him, to not have Voldemort hanging over his head as he had been for the last few years.

There was still some time before dinner and Hermione was off bathing, so Harry found a comfortable spot in the shade in which to rest. He made sure to choose a spot that was quite secluded as he was still getting used to his new attire. A soft breeze whispered around him, cooling his heated flesh and bringing with it the scent of honeysuckle. He took a deep breath, letting the soothing smell relax him. Muscles that had been tense for years began to gradually unwind and his mind began to drift lazily, thinking of nothing in particular. He ran his fingers through the soft grass enjoying the feel. He wasn't sure how long he had been laying there when he heard a soft sound nearby. Detached as he was it took him a moment to realise that the sound was someone crying. It was quiet and muffled and if Harry hadn't spent so many of his formative years making the same sounds, he may have missed it completely.

He stood up, listening carefully as he walked toward the sound. Pushing aside some bushes he found one of the foals crying helplessly. Its small face was tear stained and scrunched up in what looked like pain.

"Hey" Harry said quietly, trying not to startle the poor thing, though he still jumped in surprise. The young colt watched him suspiciously as Harry took a step closer, sinking to the grass a short distance away.

"Are you OK?"

"Yes." The foal said, crossing his arms petulantly, Harry just raised an eyebrow, waiting patiently to see if he wanted to talk. It didn't take long for the foals face to fall and more tears to start leaking from deep brown eyes.

"What's your name?" Harry asked as he moved a little closer, trying to offer some comfort.

"Kai" he sniffled.

"Did you want to talk about what's wrong?"

"It's nothing" Kai said again, wiping tears from his face. "I fell over earlier, and I've hurt one of my legs."

"Did you want me to take a look at it?" Harry offered with a small smile. "I'm no healer but I've been in a fair few scrapes myself."

The colt seemed to eye him carefully, taking in his myriad of scars before nodding.

"It's this one here" Kai said moving his back left leg slowly for Harry to inspect.

Harry took in the cuts and scrapes that covered the swollen joint, for want of a better word Harry thought of it as Kai's knee. Even Harry, who knew next to nothing about centaurs and their ailments, could see that it was a painful injury. He reached out a hand and ran it over the damage, his magic leapt to his fingers, and he let it guide him, seeping into the skin before him. When he pulled his hands away, he thought that it looked a little better. Less swollen and some of the scrapes had healed. He looked at his hands in shock, he had never done anything like that before, though he'd never actually tried. In this position he realised that he and Kai were of a similar height.

"That feels a little better" Kai said, moving his leg experimentally. "Thank you."

Harry shrugged awkwardly, "you're welcome, though I'm not really sure what I did."

Kai seemed completely unconcerned by that.

"Just wait here, I'll get some water to rinse away the blood." Harry dashed off and it was only when he reached the river that he realised he had nothing to carry any water in. For want of anything better he cupped his hands and took a scoop before hurrying back to Kai. He poured the water over the wounds rinsing away the little blood and dirt that was there. He repeated this a few times before conceding that was about as much as he could do with what he had with him.

"Who are your parents? I'll go and get them for you" Harry offered already starting to rise to his feet again only to be grabbed by Kai.

"No! You can't tell them. I was climbing on the boulders on the east side of the meadow and fell. They've told me repeatedly not to, oh they'll be so mad" Kai moaned.

Harry had to bite his lip to stop from smiling at how despondent Kai looked.

"Sorry, Kai" Harry said putting a consoling hand on his shoulder. "You're injured so I definitely have to tell them. Besides, you need help making it back to your home and I'm just not strong enough."

Kai nodded sadly. "I understand. My parents are Lars and Kalai."

Recognition flashed through Harry's eyes. Kalai was one of the centaurs who he had helped with breakfast, and he had met Lars earlier today at the bathing pools. Now that he was looking, he could see a resemblance, something similar about their colouring, the shape of Kai's nose.

"I know who they are, I'll be right back" Harry did his best to smile reassuringly.

He hurried quickly back to the main part of the meadow, thankful that it wasn't really very far. Spotting Lars and Kalai sitting together with a small group of centaurs. They all turned and stared as Harry hurried towards them.

"Kai's been injured" he gasped, not even bothering to say hello.

All the centaur, who had moments before been sitting and talking calming leapt to their feet, hands reaching for weapons and Harry took an involuntary step back, eyes widening in fright.

"Where?" Kalai snarled.

Harry pointed shakily in the direction, starting to run as someone nudged his back to lead the way.

It didn't take long for them to reach Kai, who had started sniffling again in Harry's absence. Other centaurs and Hermione arrived on the scene alerted to the drama by Harry's mad dash.

"What did you do to him!?" Kalai growled, turning furious eyes on Harry, who had been trying to unobtrusively move out of everyone's way.

Before Harry could even respond Kalai reared back onto his hind legs his front legs lashing out to strike Harry on his exposed chest. The force of the kick sent Harry flying back to land several feet away with a painful thud. Where he lay, body in shock as he struggled to breathe through the pain.

He thought he heard Hermione scream his name, but the words were strangely muffled.

He felt someone grip his hand and blinked bleary eyes up at Hermione's worried face.

"Oh, Harry" she moaned piteously, hands hovering over his chest unsure of how to help.

"Papa, no!" Kai shouted, drawing his irate parent's attention as well as everyone else's in the area.

Lars and Kalai hurried to their son, sitting before him, hands reaching out to check him for injury. He was crying worse than ever.

"What did the human do to you?" Kalai asked urgently.

"Nothing! He did nothing, but try to help me" Kai cried, scrubbing his hands through his red hair. "I was playing on the boulders on the east side of the meadow and fell and hurt myself. Harry found me crying and used his magic to help heal me. He then went and got water to clean some of the scrapes." Kai explained pointing to his injured leg. "I even begged him not to tell you what happened because I knew you'd be mad at me, but he said no, said he had to tell you both."

Lars and Kalai looked grim at the explanation. If anything, Harry deserved their thanks for trying to help their foal and alerting them to his injury. Remorse flooded Kalai. He'd been too quick to jump to conclusions, too quick to anger in the face of his injured son. So ready to believe that the human had been in the wrong. So, he'd taken it out on the human, one who was still a foal himself.

With a reassuring pat to Kai's head Kalai stood and turned toward Harry, only to find himself blocked by an irate Firenze. Their second in commands face was twisted in anger, rage radiating out from the usually controlled male. His jaw was tense, and his words came out halting as he spoke.

"Stay. Away. From. Him."

Kalai swallowed thickly, holding his hands up in supplication as he took a step back.

"Firenze" a voice called out, breaking the tense atmosphere. "I will need you to carry him back to his home, so that I may examine him." It was Basil speaking. Basil was the herds most competent healer, but Firenze knew that his knowledge of healing humans was limited.

With one last hard look at Kalai, Firenze turned, tail flicking irritably as he approached Harry. Rage and sorrow burnt through his chest like a wildfire as he stared down at the teen. Hermione was still crouched beside him, holding his hand and Firenze had to fight back the urge to push her away.

He bent down and scooped Harry up into his arms, as gently as possible before following Basil back to the home Harry and Hermione shared. Everyone else dispersed, returning to their previous activities before all the excitement. Silently Kalai and Lars helped Kai to his feet, happy to see that their foal was only limping a little as they helped him home. Worry surged through the herd.

Harry blinked several times, trying to focus as he was picked up. His head rested on a strong chest and without thought he snuggled into the comfort, pain shooting through his chest as he tried to move. He bit his lip to keep in the groan that tried to escape at the movement.

Firenze settled Harry as gently as he could on his bed, moving out of the way so that Basil could get closer. The older centaur examined Harry carefully, fingers poking and prodding, noting every twitch and grunt of pain Harry tried to hide. Eventually Basil stretched his hands out over Harry's chest and the teen felt a tingling warmth spread through him. He wasn't sure how long it lasted but when Basil pulled away the pain had lessened, and he was able to breathe more easily.

A cup of something warm was pressed to his lips.

"Drink this Harry, it will help with the pain and ease you into sleep."

Harry opened his eyes, to find Basil leaning over him, while Hermione and Firenze hovered worriedly in the background. He took the cup, ignoring the awful taste as he gulped it all down.

"Good work" Basil said softly. "I'm going to rub a poultice onto your chest to help with the bruising that will no doubt be severe, and then wrap your chest in bandages."

Harry just nodded, the tea already making him feel drowsy, eyelids heavy.

Basil worked quickly and efficiently, "I will be back to check on you tomorrow, Harry."

Firenze sat down beside him after Basil had left, running a large hand soothingly through his hair, until sleep claimed him.

When Harry awoke the next morning, it took him a moment to work out why his chest was hurting him so much. The events of the day before came crashing back with force. Kalai's anger had been frightening to behold. Logically he knew that centaurs could be vicious and dangerous but that had been the first time he'd actually been scared of one.

His thoughts turned morose as the morning light started to filter through the entryway. Two days he'd had here, two days where he'd felt completely safe for the first time in his life. He didn't have to worry about nefarious plots at Hogwarts, about Voldemort trying to kill him… about the Dursleys.

He did his best to push that thought away, but he couldn't help but notice the similarities. Where he'd tried so hard, just done his best and he'd still lost. Still been hurt. He felt like kicking himself for his stupidity. For thinking that this place would be different, that here he might fit in, maybe be appreciated. Hadn't he learnt his lesson by now. He scrubbed his hand angrily across his eyes, pushing back the tears that were threatening to spill. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

"Harry?" Hermione whispered from beside him and he jumped, not having realised she was awake.

He cleared his throat, but his voice still came out hoarse. "Yeah?"

"You OK" she asked hesitantly.

"Yeah, of course. I'm always OK" and if his voice held a certain bitterness, well he couldn't really be blamed for that now could he.

Hermione's face crumpled; she knew what he meant.

"How are you feeling?"

Harry stretched experimentally, feeling how his chest ached. There were a few painful twinges but nothing too bad. "I'm OK."

"I'm glad to hear you're doing OK" a voice said softly from the entry way and Harry looked up to find Basil standing there. "I'm still going to keep you resting for a few days and at least a week before you can get back to your regular duties. I will remove your bandages tomorrow."

Harry just nodded, not evening putting up a fight that he would be bed bound for a few days, Hermione felt her eyes widening in shock.

"Thank you for everything yesterday. It's all a bit hazy but I remember you carrying me back here and healing me."

"You are most welcome young one, though it wasn't me who carried you back here, that was Firenze."

Harry felt momentarily surprised. He didn't really remember Firenze being there until later, but he was grateful for his help none the less. "I'll make sure I thank him when I see him next."

Basil nodded. "I have prepared another cup of willowbark tea, please wait until after breakfast to drink it" he said handing over the still warm cup for Harry to take. "If you have need of me, just send Hermione, I'll be around somewhere. Hermione are you OK to stay with him while he's on bedrest?"

Hermione bristled slightly, "of course I am."

Basil just smiled, not minding her tone at all. "Well, I'll leave you to it."

The breakfast bell sounded, and Hermione jumped to her feet, "I'll go get us something to eat."

Harry nodded though his appetite had completely left him.