(AN: This chapter will answer your question, lightbabe, and very quickly. Honestly, I just couldn't leave the Centaurs out. They are too awesome!)
...***...
Anna tumbled to the ground, curling her body around the tiny trembling one in her arms. Startled cries rose around her, and she heard the sounds of large bodies scrambling up and away from her. She groaned at the aches in her body. There had been a few rocks in the ground where she had landed. Slowly, she sat up, checking on the frightened shadowcat in her arms. Artemis seemed shaken, but unhurt.
"Anna?" asked a familiar voice. She swung around to meet glacier blue eyes set in a silvery gray face lined with worry. "What happened? How did you get here?"
"Oh, Cord!" she cried, relief bringing tears to her eyes as she threw her arms around his waist. "I'm so glad it worked!"
"What happened to her?" asked Bryce. "I thought the Ministry official was going to get her somewhere safe."
Malachi spoke up, his voice harsh. "She should be with the other wand users, her own kind. Why did she return to us? How did she find us, for that matter?"
"Be calm, both of you," snapped Cord. "She's shaking worse than a new foal taking their first steps. Something must have happened. I can feel her fear and distress." He leaned down a little, his voice softening. "Little filly, I'm just going to settle on the ground. Sit down with me and tell us what happened?" Anna nodded slowly and followed him as he lowered his lean body, his long legs curled under him.
"The woman took me to the American Department of Magic," she said, trying to calm down. "She was really upset by what happened at the Stones'. The man in charge of Child Welfare, Mr. Gallatin, decided I was just trying to get attention. There was a healer who took care of me; she did a spell and found out my magic is really strong, so she sent off to have me enrolled in school early. I'll be starting at Hogwarts in September. And there was an Auror who was really nice. The Auror took me to get my things once I got my acceptance letter. He got me new clothes, and good food, and he helped me make the band you made even prettier, see?" She showed him the necklace.
"It is lovely, filly," said Cord, petting her thick hair. "Take a deep breath and keep going. I have you."
Anna took a breath like he said, rubbing her face against the fur on his chest. "He put a charm on the necklace. The chain is a Portkey that will take me to you. I told the healer about how you three took care of me. The stone is a Portkey that will take me to the train station to go to Hogwarts. I was so happy, even though I missed you. But tonight, just a few minutes ago, Mr. Gallatin was saying that the Stones had come to him, wanting me back. He said I needed to work with them, that they cared for me. I can't go back. They'll kill me." She finally lost the battle against her tears.
She felt Cord pull her closer. "Malachi," he said, his voice quiet but firm.
Malachi looked at Anna, his black eyes deep and searching. "Forgive me, filly," he said. "I thought you would be safe among the wand users. They usually seem to cherish their young."
"He found out what I am," she said softly. "A few of them know I'm a Druid. That's why I feel at ease with you three, and why you didn't avoid me. That's why the plants respond, and the beasts help me. And now the Ministry wants me, and they'll put me back with the Stones."
Malachi snorted, drawing her watery gaze. "No one will be allowed to use you again, little one." He drew an arrow and, to the surprise of all, stabbed his left palm.
Cord carefully loosened his grip on her. Bryce turned and stared at his eldest brother. Malachi tucked back one foreleg and bent down to Anna. "I hereby swear upon my lifeblood to protect this child before me, lost and alone, until such time as she dismiss me. Let it be written in the stars that I, Malachi of the centaurs, will always protect this foal. I offer strength, that she may learn to walk proud and strong through life."
Cord took the arrow and pierced his palm, placing it beside Malachi's. "I, Cord of the centaurs, swear on my lifeblood to protect and guide this child. I offer wisdom, to lead her in knowledge and skill, that her mind will be strong and unbreakable."
Bryce came forward and pierced his palm, taking his place beside his brothers. "I, Bryce of the centaurs, now swear on my lifeblood to protect this child before me, friendless and alone. I offer companionship, to teach her to find enjoyment in life, despite the sorrow she has faced, that her heart will be saved from the darkness of despair."
Anna looked at them in a mix of horror and confusion. This was clearly a ritual of some sort, a powerful one if it required blood. Wait, blood! A blood offering alongside an oath, the most powerful oath in the magic world. They were offering her their blood oaths. Anna looked at each of them, knowing there was really only one thing she could do. She took the arrow they had each used and cut open her right hand, her wand hand. She waited until it began to drip, then clasped the wound against the open gash in Malachi's palm.
"I accept your strength, Malachi of the centaurs," she said softly, feeling their blood entwine. "I place my body in your hands to guard and guide." She moved her hand to Cord's. "I accept your wisdom, Cord of the centaurs. I place my mind in your keeping, to help it grow and guide it to great knowledge." Then Bryce. "I accept your companionship, Bryce of the centaurs. To you, I entrust my spirit, the spirit of a Druid, to nurture, that I may never again know loneliness or darkness." In unison, they all intoned the final words. "What blood has bound, let none tear asunder. So we say, so mote it be."
A flash of crimson light flared from each wound, then faded to show their healed hands. Only white marks remained of the cuts, looking like years old scars. Anna smiled down at the faint mark.
"So, now what?" she asked. The brothers all chuckled.
"Now, filly," said Malachi. "You are marked by our blood in your veins. You are part centaur. Though, to be honest, there is no way to know how this will affect you later in life. For now, it will be seen to all our race that you are claimed as our foal. We will care for you whenever you are not at that school, and we will teach you anything we can."
Cord slipped his arms around her again. "Even a wand user's magic will show that you are under our protection. You never have to go anywhere you don't want to." Anna looked up at him; she knew they could see the desperate hope in her eyes.
Malachi placed a strong hand on her shoulder. "Welcome to our herd, Anna-foal."
A soft mewl from her chest alerted Anna to her familiar's distress. "Oh! I almost forgot," she said. "This is my familiar, Artemis. She's a cross between a Kneazle and a shadowcat. I found her when the Auror took me shopping. She's very clever, and I can take her with me to school."
Cord smiled. "Good. She can help keep an eye on you and protect you." He let the kitten sniff his hand delicately before rubbing at the little ears. Artemis purred softly. "She has the intelligence, and you have the magic to bond deeply with her. You should be able to converse with her when she is a little older."
"We should move before it gets too late," said Malachi. "The Ministry has few scruples, and they will do their best to trace your magic trail, little one. You should also be wary of using your wand away from the school. The Ministry puts a tracking spell on new wands to help them keep track of the young ones."
Anna nodded. "I put a few of my books and clothes into the satchel. It has a charm to make it huge on the inside, and it won't get heavy. We can use it to carry things we need. It's also waterproof and fireproof."
"Good, up you go now," said Cole. "You can ride on my back for now." He stood and swung Anna onto his back. She quickly grabbed onto his waist to steady herself.
"We head north for now," said Malachi. "We will keep on the move for now, until Anna needs to go to the wand user school."
"And then?" asked Bryce.
"I know a potion maker who lives north from here. There are also a few very rare ingredients that we can harvest and barter with. We will exchange the plants for transport to the land called Scotland, then request to join a herd closer to our little foal." Anna gave him a brilliant smile before they set out, heading north.
...***...
One month later, Anna stood in front of her herd, tears in her eyes. True to their oaths, they had already begun teaching her. Malachi taught her things like survival, how to find food in what seemed a barren area. He had also started teaching her a little about fighting. "Only a very foolish witch depends on their wand," he had said to her. "Too many are helpless once their wand is taken from them. My foal will not be one of them."
Cord had spent the time giving her lessons in reading the stars and the wind. He had openly told her that, while Astronomy would not be too difficult, Divination was a very subtle and vague art. He taught her what plants were safe to eat and which ones the wand users used in potions. A few of the plants he showed her were quite rare, or only had their best potency at certain times of the year or month. She used a few of the spare jars she had with her to harvest the few that were ready and tucked them away.
Bryce had taught her simple joys of life. The contentment of having good meals during the day, and the beauty of the night skies. He taught her to hear the hidden sounds in the world around her, of the wind in the trees, the rain on the earth. He taught her the games that many centaur foals took joy in, and he often took her on his back and carried her at a full gallop, letting her just be.
But now, it was time for her to go meet the train. She had changed into a set of the nicer clothes Auror McIntire had bought for her, and all her books and supplies were ready to go. She had carefully practiced the Enlargement spell, so she would restore her trunk when she reached the platform. Artemis was perched on her shoulder, her collar fastened securely. Andre, the jeweler, had said the collar would protect her little kitten during travel by apparition, Portkey, or Floo.
Bryce moved up to embrace her. "Try to take a little time each day to just sit and listen," he said. "Whether inside the castle or out, you should always take time to relax and play a little. Be good, and be safe."
Malachi stepped up and cupped her cheek tenderly. "You have grown stronger in many ways, even in the last few weeks. Keep training, foal. Continue to grow strong."
"Be careful, filly," said Cord. "Keep up with your studies, and learn all you can. The only limits you have are the ones you give yourself." He hugged her firmly. "Walk with care, little one. The signs show darkness to come, and I fear you will not be untouched." Anna nodded and stepped away.
"I'll try to come visit during the holidays," she said softly. "Be careful on your travels. I can't lose you three. We'll find a way to get in touch with each other. May the stars shine bright and clear!" she reached up and tapped the emerald at her throat three times, her other hand cradling Artemis. "Platform 9 ¾!" she called out, and felt the now familiar sensation of something grabbing her behind the navel and yanking her forward.
...***...
Anna landed much more gracefully this time. That is, she kept her feet under her, despite stumbling a bit. She looked around cautiously and slipped her trunk from her pocket. A quick Engorgio and the trunk was restored to the proper size. She opened her satchel and swapped a few books out, also taking a full uniform to change into, then shut her trunk and locked it. She tugged it along behind her, dragging it until a kindly guard stepped up and helped her load it on a small trolley. Artemis mewled and hopped onto the trunk, perched like some sort of royal, to the amusement of the station guard.
She hurried off, quickly finding Platforms 9 and 10. She looked around, then focused her energies like Malachi had taught her. A shimmer caught her eye at one point of the barrier between the two platforms, and she approached it warily. She watched from a short distance as a few people walked up, children of various ages pushing trolleys loaded with trunks.
She jumped a little in surprise when one of them walked at the barrier and disappeared. She smiled; that must be the entrance. She followed nervously, hoping it wouldn't alarm Artemis. She pushed her trunk along and followed the older students through the barrier. An old feeling swept over her, but it soon passed. She was startled a little when Artemis hopped into her arms, clearly unsettled by the sensation. She moved her things out of the way and soothed her little kitten.
Soon, Artemis was once again perched on her shoulder, and she deposited her trunk with several others. Finally, she took in the sight of the steaming red train. It was beautiful. Students were rushing everywhere, and parents were bidding them farewell. Anna sighed and moved towards the train. Just as she grasped the rail to climb up, a hard shove at her back knocked her away. She cried out as she hit the ground, curling her body to protect Artemis. She looked up to see two large boys, both a good bit older than her, grinning nastily at her.
"Look at this, Greg," said one of them. He had his hair in a ridiculous bowl-cut, with long, thick arms and a pudgy face. "A little firstie. Looks like we need to show her her place." He reached out. "This is a Slytherin only carriage. Only the best and purest are aloud." Anna shifted back, trying to get to her feet.
A strong hand gripped the shoulder of her clothes and yanked her up. "What you got there, firstie?" said the other one, apparently the Greg being addressed. "A little pet? Aw, she got a little kitty cat, Vince. Hand it here, firstie, we want to play with it."
A low growl came from Anna's arms, even as she struggled to free herself. Suddenly, her arms were empty. Anna looked around frantically. "Artemis?! Where are you?" she called. The kitten had vanished.
"OW!" yelled Vince. "The rat bit me! Ow! Stop it! Greg! Do something!"
Before she could do much else, a hand grabbed Greg's and firmly removed it from her. Another pair of hands gently scooped her out of the way, then deposited her still growling kitten in her arms. Vince and Greg turned to face the newcomers only to find a wand in each of their faces.
"Good morning, gents," said a voice above her. "Now, I know you two are a bit thick at times, so I'll keep my words short and easy. Oh, hello to you as well, Malfoy."
"As we were saying," said an identical voice from a different position above and behind her. "We have been led to believe over the years, that each house looked after its own. Or is Slytherin the exception to that?"
The tall boy with white-blond hair looked at once arrogant and uncomfortable. "Of course we look after our own, Weasley," he snapped.
"Then explain, if you will," said the first voice.
"Why, before we get on the train."
"Much less get her Sorted."
"Were these two gorillas pushing around a little first year."
"That just might be a new Slytherin herself?"
The blond boy, Malfoy, flushed angrily. "Crabbe, Goyle, go," he said sharply.
"Come off it, Draco," said the one called Vince. "It was just a little fun."
"I said go!" Malfoy snarled. The two stumbled up the steps to obey. Malfoy's cold gray eyes fixed on the two behind her. "Don't get used to this, Weasleys." He turned and followed the other two.
Anna finally looked up at the two that had helped her. Two tall bodies met her. She followed them up to see light-skinned freckled faces, laughing light blue eyes, all topped with thick reddish hair.
The two boys crouched down to meet her. "Hello," said the one on her right. "The name's Fred Weasley. And this poor sod with me is my pale reflection, George."
"I take slight offense to that, Fred, as I was born first," said the other. Anna couldn't help but smile.
"I'm Anna Stone, and I think I hit my head when I fell," she said.
"Really?" asked George.
"Does it hurt?" asked Fred. They wore identical looks of calm concern.
"It doesn't hurt, but I'm seeing double." Anna waited a moment for them to catch on.
Laughter burst from both of them. "Merlin's Beard, Fred, I think I like this one. She's got fire."
"I concur, George. First time anyone had a laugh at our expense. This is day that will go down in history." He stood and held his hand out. "Come on, Anna. We'll show you to the first years' car." Anna took the boy's hand and followed him to a different carriage. "You can ride on this one with the rest of the first years, or you can ride with us, if want."
"Thank you, but perhaps I should stay with the other first years," said Anna. "Maybe I'll come find you if I get lonely?"
"You will be quite welcome, dear lady," said George with an exaggerated bow. Anna giggled and followed them onto the train. They saw her to an empty car and left with promises to check on her later. She opened her satchel and pulled out a small blanket for Artemis to snuggle into, then pulled out one of the spare potions books she had gotten and settled in to read.
The train set off with a lurch, once again landing Artemis in Anna's arms. The little kitten was proving to be rather jumpy at new things, but Anna liked the fact that her familiar sought her out for comfort. She stroked the soft fur and stared out the window at the passing scenery. Three more first years came in and sat in the car with her, but they seemed to know each other well already, so she stayed quiet. The three seemed to speculating on what house they would be in and how they would be sorted.
After a few hours, one of the two boys looked at her. "Are you studying?" he asked, as though it were the most dreadful thing in the world.
Anna looked at the boy coolly. "I am," she said softly. "I happen to find this book very interesting, though I have a few questions. So I write them down. Hopefully, I will find the answer elsewhere in the book, and if I don't I'll choose one of the other books and try there."
One of the others looked a little curious. "What if none of the books you have tell you the answer?" he asked.
"Then it's a good thing we're on our way to a school, isn't it. I'll just look in the library or ask the teacher." She turned back to her book, already annoyed.
"What's your favorite Quidditch team?" asked the girl.
"I don't follow Quidditch," Anna replied. Seeing the stunned faces around her, rolled her eyes. "I wouldn't say no to attending a game, but I find other ways to entertain myself." The others left her alone for a while.
"So Anna," said the first boy that had spoken. "What do you think of all this rubbish Harry Potter's spouting?"
Anna closed her book. Something told her this conversation would only end when she left the car. "What makes you think it's rubbish?" she asked.
"Well, he's going about saying that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has come back to life. It's all over the papers. The Minister of Magic has assured everyone that it's impossible."
"So what do they say happened? When did it happen?"
The boy looked all too eager to share the news. "Last year, they held the Triwizard Tournament at Hogwarts. Rumor is, Potter somehow put his name in, though there were supposed to be measures taken to prevent anyone under sixteen entering. There were three tasks they had to compete in. The last task was a giant maze. All anyone saw was that Potter and the real Hogwarts champion, Cedric Diggory, went into the maze. Then, there was a flash of light, and there was Potter, holding the trophy cup in one hand and Diggory's dead body in the other. Then he started raving about You-Know-Who being back."
Anna looked at the boy. "Didn't they ask Potter what happened?" she asked.
"Yeah, he said the Triwizard Cup was a PortKey, and it took him to some graveyard. He said a guy named Peter Pettigrew used the Killing Curse on Diggory, then used Potter's blood to resurrect You-Know-Who. Supposedly, the two of them dueled, then Potter escaped, grabbed Diggory's body, and used the PortKey to get back to Hogwarts." It was clear the boy was eager to share gossip.
"But the Ministry has made it clear that none of it is true," said the other boy. "Something happened in the maze, and Diggory was killed in an accident. Potter made up the whole thing to get more attention."
Anna doubted that. "How does that make sense?" she asked the boys. At their blank looks, she explained. "I know about the Triwizard Tournaments. The winners are celebrated for years after. They are guaranteed fame and recognition for the rest of their lives. Telling the world that one of the most evil wizards to ever live has returned would not gain him fame or popularity. It would only scare people. What would Potter gain from that?"
The other three were quiet after that. It was obvious they had been so eager for juicy gossip they hadn't stopped to wonder at the truth of what they had heard. Anna had seen it enough with the Stones. She lifted her book again and resumed her reading. After a while, she stood and picked up Artemis. Her kitten was getting restless, so Anna decided to take her out and let her run about the corridor. She hid a smirk when Artemis hissed at the other girl in the compartment. She slipped Artemis's blanket into her satchel and took it with her.
...***...
Anna followed her familiar towards the back of the train. The little Kneazle mix was having fun, dashing under peoples' feet and making them stumble, pouncing at shadows. Anna laughed at Artemis's antics. Suddenly, the compartment beside her opened, and a tall boy with red hair stepped out. Anna had enough time to think he looked a lot like the two who had helped her earlier when a loud yowl split the air. The boy jumped back in alarm, and Anna dove to the ground, scooping Artemis into her arms and cradling the trembling form.
"Stupid first years and their stupider pets getting in the way," grumbled the teen. Anna looked at him sharply.
A girl, seeming the same age as the boy, stepped out. "What's happened, Ron?" she asked. She had long, bushy brown hair. Anna opened her mouth to explain.
"I tripped over a first year's stray rat!" he stated. Anna snapped her mouth shut and glared.
"Ron!" snapped the young witch. "You're a prefect now. Act like it!" She turned to Anna. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine," Anna replied curtly. "But it seems the Gryffindor prefect stepped on my cat's paw."
"Ron, you should really watch where you are going," said the witch. "You could have seriously hurt this girl or her pet."
Ron flushed, his red face looking very humorous against his orange-red hair. "It was an accident," he mumbled. "She shouldn't have been letting it run loose in the first place."
Anna scowled and stood, still cradling Artemis. The witch rolled her eyes and turned to her. "I'm Hermione Granger, Gryffindor Prefect. Would you like me to help?" she asked, drawing her wand out.
"No, thank you," said Anna. "I'll take care my familiar. She doesn't like strangers." She turned her attention to the nervous kitten. "Don't worry, Temy," she cooed. "Let me find a place to sit, and I'll fix it. Where does it hurt?" The kitten mewled at her in pain and lifted her left front paw. "Alright, let me get to my bag, and I'll make it better."
"Well, well," said the voice of one of the twins she had met earlier. "Off to make the rounds, Ronnikins?" Anna looked up to see them both walking down the corridor.
"Oh no, it's happening again!" cried Anna playfully. The two stopped, then grinned widely at her.
"Why, if it isn't our diminutive damsel in distress," said the first one.
"And holding her fierce feline familiar," said the other. "Don't fret, you're not seeing double."
"We were simply so amazing, there had to be two of us to grace this world."
Anna giggled at the two. They were fun to be around. "Um, do you have an empty seat in your compartment?" she asked. "The klutz with his mouth currently hanging open stepped on Artemis's paw and has yet to apologize for it, and I really should tend to it quickly."
She heard Ron's mouth close with a click, followed by mutters of 'sorry' and 'cheeky first year.' The twins nodded and motioned towards a compartment nearby. Anna smiled and followed them.
"No harassing her!" cried Granger. Anna ignored her. Fred and George showed her to a compartment a little further down. Inside were two boys, one looking to be the age of the twins, and the other a few years younger, though older than herself. There was also a dark-skinned girl that looked the same age as the twins. She smiled shyly.
"Hi," she said. "Hope I'm not bothering you."
"Don't worry," said the dark-skinned older boy. "Come on in. If you're the first year Fred and George were telling us about, you're welcome."
"Thank you," said Anna. "I'm afraid I wasn't getting along well with the other first years. Just nothing in common right now." At that moment, Artemis gave a piteous mewl of pain. "Oh, I'm sorry, Temy. I'll fix you up right now." She looked around and hurried to the younger boy. "Would you hold her for me?"
The boy looked startled. "Sure, I just hope she likes me," he said. Anna delicately cradled the injured paw.
"Just a nasty bruise, though it looks a bit swollen," she said softly. The boy had reached up and was tenderly stroking Artemis's ears, while his other hand cradled the tiny body. Anna pulled a vial of thick cream from her bag, along with a roll of bandaging cloth. She quickly but gently rubbed the cream into the furry paw, making sure to coat the skin, then wrapped it to hold the healing cream in place. "Okay, we'll unwrap it tonight before bed, then keep it wrapped tomorrow, just to be safe."
The others in the compartment watched her with varying degrees of confusion and astonishment. Anna tugged out the soft green blanket for Artemis and wrapped it around the pouting kitten. The twins took the two seats with the older boy, and Anna sat between the girl and the younger boy.
"So, I'm Anna, and I'm from America," she said with a smile.
One of the twins grinned. "Well, you know me and George," he said. He pointed to the boy beside him. "This our best mate, Lee Jordan. And you're sitting next to Angelina Johnson and Marcellus Williams, Lee's cousin. Mates, this is, indeed, the little first year we saved from Crabbe and Goyle's usual welcoming party."
"Though her kitten was doing a good job of handling things," said George.
"So that's how you met these two trouble makers," said Angelica. "Fred and George are known at Hogwarts as the most inventive and skilled pranksters to ever attend. Though they do have a soft spot for anyone being bullied."
"We simply want to try and break the school record for most number of detentions ever," said George.
"We might even make it this year," said Fred. Anna giggled again. These two were very powerful and intelligent, they just put it to use for the amusement of themselves and others.
"What house are you in?" asked Anna. She fished out one of her cold-charmed bottles filled with milk for Artemis. It would satisfy the kitten's hunger until she could feed her at the school. Artemis was soon suckling happily.
"De lot of us are in Gryffindor," said Marcellus in a delightful accent. "I be a third year, and the others all be in seventh. You know which house you be wanting?"
"I hear good things about each of them. Most likely not Ravenclaw material, though. What will be, will be. That's what my guardian says a lot."