The Stargazer's Prophecy

His robes flapped around him. He barely noticed that he was running. All he knew is that he had to get far away.

"Harry, Harry, come back!" Hagrid, Ron and Hermione were shouting after him.

I've got to run faster, he thought to himself.

It was then that he noticed that everything around him was a blur.

"STOP, I've got to stop!" He tried to stop himself, but tripped on his quidditch robes and stumbled several hundred feet.

He pushed himself up on his elbows and spat the dirt and leaves out of his mouth. Looking around, he saw that he was in the middle of a large ditch. In another few seconds he realized he created it.

"Ah!" He started clawing frantically at the sides of the ditch to pull himself out. He crawled out and then turned to look at the damaged earth, and backed up to a tree.

"What's happening to me?" he asked himself as he hugged his knees.

Clark rested his chin in his hand as he and Malfoy waited for McGonagall to arrive. Malfoy was tapping his foot incessantly, sighing impatiently every once in a while.

"Would you stop that?" Clark asked, annoyed.

"I don't have to do anything you ask. It's your fault we're here in the first place."

Clark looked at him in disbelief, "You attacked me!"

"You will not raise your voices in my office," they turned to the door to see Professor McGonagall walking in. She walked around her desk and looked down on them, "I'm astounded at the behavior I saw today! You've brought shame on both your houses!"

Clark looked down, his face a mixture of both anger and shame. Even though he left school years ago he still didn't like being in trouble with a teacher.

"Do you have anything to say for yourselves?"

Malfoy sighed haughtily, "I don't know why I'm here. I am just a victim."

McGonagall glared at him. "In the five years I've known you have never been just a victim. I imagine you started the whole thing."

"He did," said Clark.

"Quiet, Kent! Now as punishment, eighty points will be taken from each of your houses." Malfoy began to protest, but a look from McGonagall silenced him once again. "I will also be speaking with Professor Snape, and you will both serve detention together every Saturday for the next month."

"For a month?" Clark asked, stunned.

"Yes, Kent, a month. Perhaps in that time the two of you will learn how to get along or at least act your age." She sat down behind her desk and fixed them both with a stern stare. "You are dismissed Malfoy. Return to your dormitory immediately."

Malfoy jumped up and ran out the door, not even bothering to close it. "What about me?" Clark asked.

"I'd like a private word with you." She waved her wand, causing the door to close and silence itself.

"Are you really going to make me do detention?"

"Yes, Mr. Kent, I am. Since you are posing as a student here, I will hold you to the same expectations as all the other students.

Clark took a deep breathe, "Look, I know I shouldn't have lost my temper. I'm sorry, it won't happen again."

McGonagall looked at him for a few seconds, "What would you have done had I not intervened? Beat him to a pulp? Break every bone in his body? I realize these are merely expressions, but with your gifts they are entirely possible."

Clark looked guilty again, "I know."

McGonagall sighed, "I understand that Harry is going to be coming into his new powers very soon, and that you will need to be here to teach him how to use and control them. How much longer must you wait to tell him?"

"I will tell him, soon."

"Very well, may I suggest that during the time that you are here you exercise a little more self-control?"

"I'll be on my best behavior," said Clark, sincerely.

"Good, now return to the common room."

Clark got up and walked out the door.

Harry was walking through the forest trying to make his way back to the castle, though he was hopelessly lost. He was still shaken by his earlier experience and couldn't figure out how he got outside the castle grounds without detection in the first place.

Suddenly, his ears picked up the sound of breathing, and heartbeats. He began breathing heavier with fear. "Who's there?"

"You have no need to fear, Harry Potter," came a deep voice. Out of the shadow of the trees stepped a tall, black centaur.

"What do you want?" asked Harry, backing away. He still remembered the last time that he had a run-in with the centaurs. They'd been less than friendly since Firenze had started teaching at Hogwarts.

"We are merely observing you." Another centaur stepped out. From his red hair and beard and chestnut body, Harry recognized him as Ronan.

"Why are you observing me?"

He looked up into the sky, which was slowly darkening. "Our kind have been gazing at the stars in the heavens for centuries now. Therefore it does not escape our notice when one of them disappears forever."

"What's that got to do with me?" The centaur fixed Harry with an intense gaze.

"Your kind are descended from the stars. The coming of your kind has long been foretold through those same stars from whence you came."

Harry stared blankly at him before shaking his head in confusion. "I have no idea what you're talking about. Could you just point the way to get back to the castle?"

Ronan slowly raised his arm and pointed to his left.

"Thank you," said Harry, and began walking in that direction. He looked back once or twice to see Ronan watching him until the centaur was out of sight.

"That was creepy," said Harry.

It was well after nightfall when the castle came into sight.

"Finally."

He began running toward it, but stopped and collapsed when a wave of pain and nausea hit him. He saw a faint green glow out of the corner of his eye just before he blacked out.

"Clark," he looked up from where he was sitting in the common room to see Kara and Zatanna walking in. "What did you do?"

"What are you talking about?"

"She's referring to what happened today with Malfoy," said Zatanna.

"Oh, that," Clark said, sheepishly.

He was silent for a few minutes before Kara spoke again, "Well, what happened?"

"He attacked me so I grabbed him by his shirt."

"Clark, you're always lecturing me about controlling myself, and then you go and do something like this!"

"I know it was stupid. McGonagall took away eighty points and now I have detention for a month. I feel really bad about it so can we please drop it?"

Kara crossed her arms, "Fine."

"Did either of you get any information on this Voldemort guy?"

"Actually we did. There was a lot of information in the library about the last war against him," said Zatanna.

"This guy's really bad news, Clark," said Kara. "Last time he became so powerful, not everyone that was working for him were willing. He would control people and torture them. Some joined up just to keep from going against him, out of fear."

"We've faced worse," said Clark.

"But this one has an army. And don't forget, magic affects us just like everyone else," said Kara.

"And he wants your brother," said Zatanna.

"Well he's gonna have to get through me first."

"Clark, Kara, Zatanna!" They looked up to see who was calling them. It was Hermione. She was running in through the portrait hole, followed closely by Ron.

"Hey, guys, what's up?" asked Clark.

"Have any of you seen Harry?" she asked when she was close enough.

"No, I haven't seen him since the tryouts. What happened?" asked Clark, getting concerned.

"Something happened today, something strange. And then he began running and disappeared."

Clark, Kara and Zatanna all shared a look of apprehension before jumping up and heading out of the common room.