"Well…" Ron finally put into words what everyone was thinking. "What now?"
Harry glanced towards the shore, where the centaurs were waiting for them with the calculated patience of a predator stalking its prey. He had hoped that they would give up once they made it to the water, but it appeared that they weren't going anywhere for the time being.
But Harry knew that he and his friends couldn't afford to wait here forever. Luna still needed medical attention, and if they were gone much longer, their absence at Hogwarts would be noticed. They had to get back as soon as possible, and there was only one way that he could think of.
"We'll just have to try to explain the situation to them," he said.
"You mean reason with those beasts?" Malfoy asked incredulously. "You must be joking."
"They may be classified as magical beasts, but they have human-like intelligence," Hermione replied matter-of-factly.
"Hermione's right," Harry said. "I'm sure that if we talk to them, we can come to an understanding. We have to at least try." He sent Malfoy a challenging stare. "Unless you have a better idea, that is."
"Do whatever you like," the other boy replied haughtily, "but I'm staying right here."
"Most of us should stay here anyways," Hermione said to Harry. "If we go in a large group, we might come across as combative."
"Agreed. I'll go."
"Wait, it's too risky on your own, Harry," she said. "I think if it's just one more person it should be fine, so—"
"In that case," Ginny spoke up, "I'll go."
Harry immediately rejected the idea. "No way. It's too dangerous."
"Harry's right, Ginny," George said. "There's lots of other people here, so there's no reason that you have to be the one to go."
"There is a reason," she said with quiet determination. "My patronus is a horse, remember? If they see that, then maybe they'll at least listen to us."
"But still—" Harry began to object.
"Ginny has a point," Hermione said. "Expecto patronum is said to be a representation of the user's soul, so if they see Ginny's, it might make us feel less foreign to them."
Harry looked at Ginny, who met his gaze unwaveringly. "Alright then," he finally gave in. "But if things start looking dangerous, I want you to go back right away."
"I will," she smiled brightly.
Once Ginny had cast her patronus, the two of them waded together through the water, moving as close to the shore as they dared.
"Will you please listen to us?" Harry addressed the centaurs, who had tensed at their approach. "We just want to talk."
"Is that so?" one of the centaurs said, his voice filled with disdain. He stood in the center, larger than the rest, and Harry surmised that he was their leader. "You're saying that now, but you seemed more than ready for a fight earlier."
"That's because you didn't leave us a choice," Harry retorted, feeling his temper begin to flare.
Ginny suddenly stepped forward. "We're sorry for attacking you. We didn't want to hurt you, we just did the only thing we could think of to get away."
Harry looked at her and felt his chest swell with pride. He was close enough to see that she was trembling like a leaf, yet her voice was calm and confident, her plea honest and heartfelt. It appeared that even the calloused centaur wasn't able to remain unaffected in the face of such sincerity, because when he spoke again, his manner was considerably subdued.
"All right, then. We'll give you a chance to explain yourselves, but we're not making any promises."
"Thank you very much," Ginny said, as she and Harry exchanged relieved glances.
"So, start by telling us what you were doing in our part of the forest," the centaur said gruffly.
"Right," Harry said, taking over the appeal. "We were practicing spells, you see, only I didn't realize that we had gone so far into the forest. We weren't intruding on your land intentionally. It was an accident, honest."
"You are students at Hogwarts?"
"Yes."
The centaur snorted with contempt.
"Is there something wrong?" Harry asked.
"We're not exactly on good terms with the academy as of late," he replied. "The new headmaster Doris Underbridge something or another—"
"Dolores Umbridge?" Harry supplied.
"Yes, her. She's been conspiring with the Ministry to reduce our territory even more. For all we know," he appraised them suspiciously, "you could be spies sent by her."
"I can promise you that we aren't working for Umbridge," Harry said, his nose wrinkling with disgust at the mere thought. "The only reason we're practicing all the way out here is so that we don't get caught by her."
"So you say. But what are you practicing for anyways?"
Harry hesitated. He wasn't sure if it would be wise to tell them everything, but if they wanted to get out of this alive, he wasn't sure that he had much of a choice.
"We're preparing to fight Voldemort," he said at last.
"The Dark Lord? He's been dead for years."
Harry shook his head grimly. "He's back, and he could attack at any time. That's why we have to be ready."
"I see…," the centaur said, but Harry could tell that he thought he was crazy. "And how do you know this?"
"That's because…"
"It's because he's Harry Potter," Ginny burst out.
The centaur crossed his arms skeptically. "Harry Potter? You mean the Boy-Who-Lived?"
Ginny nodded. "That's right. You-Know-Who…I mean, Voldemort's already failed to kill Harry more than once, so he's come back to finish what he started." She turned towards Harry. "Show him your scar, Harry."
He obeyed, stepping closer so the centaurs could see it clearly.
"It's really true," the centaur looked at him, his eyes filled with wonder. "I've seen things about you, Harry Potter. Your fate and Voldemort's are inextricably entangled. You are the chosen one—the only one who can ultimately defeat him, but if you manage to do so, it will be at a great cost."
Harry shuddered slightly at the centaur's ominous words. The chosen one. He had been told that he was special ever since he was introduced to the magical world, but he had never thought much of it. The centaur's prediction forced him to ask himself a question he had been avoiding until now. Was he really meant to defeat Voldemort? And if it was true…was he even capable of defeating someone who was widely regarded as the most fearsome wizard of all time?
"Very well," the centaur said, putting an end to Harry's introspection. "I'll take your word for it, Harry Potter. Please excuse us for attacking you without cause."
"It's alright," Harry replied. "It's over and done now."
"Is there anything we can do for you to make up for it?"
He was about to say that it wasn't necessary, when an idea occurred to him. "Actually..." he said, a smile spreading over his face, "there is one thing…"