Chapter 60:
Alicia followed Hermione trying to think what she was planning. Harry followed them both as Alicia kept glancing at Hermione, keeping the same look of disappointment on her face that she hoped fooled Umbridge. Harry however didn't look at Hermione as he kept one pace behind her with Alicia, as Umbridge walked so closely behind them that they could hear her ragged breathing.
Hermione led the way down the stairs into the entrance hall. The din of loud voices and the clatter of cutlery on plates echoed from out of the double doors to the Great Hall. It seemed incredible to Harry that twenty feet away were people who were enjoying dinner, celebrating the end of exams, not a care in the world…
Hermione walked straight out of the oak front doors and down the stone steps into the balmy evening air. The sun was falling toward the tops of the trees in the Forbidden Forest now, as Hermione marched purposefully across the grass, Umbridge jogging to keep up. Their long dark shadows rippled over the grass behind them like cloaks.
"It's hidden in Hagrid's hut, is it?" said Umbridge eagerly in Harry's ear as they were moving in that direction. Alicia started to have an idea of where they may be heading. Was Hermione going to lead them into the forest? Alicia hoped that the centaurs took Umbridge out seeing as they don't harm 'fouls'.
"Of course not," said Hermione scathingly. "Hagrid might have set it off accidentally."
"Yes," said Umbridge, whose excitement seemed to be mounting. "Yes, he would have done, of course, the great half-breed oaf…"
She laughed.
"Then… where is it?" asked Umbridge, with a hint of uncertainty in her voice as Hermione continued to stride toward the forest.
The other option of course was to show them Grawp, but Alicia didn't know which path that was as she'd been on the Quidditch pitch instead of with Harry and Hermione.
"In there, of course," said Hermione, pointing into the dark trees. "It had to be somewhere that students weren't going to find it accidentally, didn't it?"
"And students aren't allowed." Alicia said coldly.
"Of course," said Umbridge, though she sounded a little apprehensive now. "Of course… very well, then… you two stay ahead of me."
"Can we have your wand, then, if we're going first?" Harry asked her.
"No, I don't think so, Mr. Potter," said Umbridge sweetly, poking him in the back with it. "The Ministry places a rather higher value on my life than yours, I'm afraid."
As they reached the cool shade of the first trees, Harry tried to catch Hermione's eye and Alicia looked at the trees listening. Hermione merely gave Umbridge a contemptuous glance and plunged straight in amongst the thick trunks. Alicia followed immediately and they moved at such a pace that Umbridge, with her shorter legs, had difficulty in keeping up.
"Is it very far in?" Umbridge asked, as her robe ripped on a bramble.
"Oh yes," said Hermione. "Yes, it's well hidden."
"Er — are you sure this is the right way?" Harry asked her pointedly.
"Oh yes," she said in a steely voice, crashing through the undergrowth with what he thought was a wholly unnecessary amount of noise. Behind them, Umbridge tripped over a fallen sapling. Neither of them paused to help her up again; Hermione merely strode on, calling loudly over her shoulder, "It's a bit further in!"
"Hermione, keep your voice down," Harry muttered, hurrying to catch up with her. "Anything could be listening in here —"
"I want us heard," she answered quietly, as Umbridge jogged noisily after them. "You'll see…"
"I hope you mean the centaurs." Alicia whispered and Hermione glanced at her.
They walked on for what seemed a long time, until they were once again so deep into the forest that the dense tree canopy blocked out all light. Alicia wouldn't have been surprised if they were being watched. She hoped something was out there, despite the fact that the three were unarmed and there was much more than just centaurs in this forest, as they'd found out in their second year when they'd seen the giant Acromantulas Hagrid kept.
"How much further?" demanded Umbridge angrily from behind him.
"Not far now!" shouted Hermione, as they emerged into a dim, dank clearing. "Just a little bit —"
An arrow flew through the air and landed with a menacing thud in the tree just over her head. The air was suddenly full of the sound of hooves, the forest floor trembling; Umbridge gave a little scream and pushed Harry in front of her like a shield —
He wrenched himself free of her and turned. Around fifty centaurs were emerging on every side, their bows raised and loaded, pointing at Harry, Hermione, Alicia and Umbridge, who backed slowly into the centre of the clearing, Umbridge uttering odd little whimpers of terror. Harry looked sideways at Hermione. She was wearing a triumphant smile, Alicia looked more than pleased and expectant.
"Who are you?" said a voice.
Harry looked left. The chestnut-bodied centaur called Magorian was walking toward them out of the circle; his bow, like the others', was raised. On Harry's right, Umbridge was still whimpering, her wand trembling violently as she pointed it at the advancing centaur.
"I asked you who are you, human," said Magorian roughly.
"I am Dolores Umbridge!" said Umbridge in a high-pitched, terrified voice. "Senior Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic and Headmistress and High Inquisitor of Hogwarts!"
"You are from the Ministry of Magic?" said Magorian, as many of the centaurs in the surrounding circle shifted restlessly.
"That's right!" said Umbridge in an even higher voice. "So be very careful! By the laws laid down by the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, any attack by half-breeds such as yourselves on a human —"
"What did you call us?" shouted a wild-looking black centaur, whom Alicia recognised from her first year as Bane. There was a great deal of angry muttering and tightening of bowstrings around them.
"Don't call them that!" Hermione said furiously, but Umbridge did not appear to have heard her.
"Not unless you want to piss them off." Alicia added
Still pointing her shaking wand at Magorian, Umbridge continued, "Law Fifteen B states clearly that 'Any attack by a magical creature who is deemed to have near-human intelligence, and therefore considered responsible for its actions —' "
" 'Near-human intelligence'?" repeated Magorian, as Bane and several others roared with rage and pawed the ground. "We consider that a great insult, human! Our intelligence, thankfully, far outstrips your own —"
"What are you doing in our forest?" bellowed the hard-faced grey centaur. "Why are you here?"
"Your forest?" said Umbridge, shaking now not only with fright but also, it seemed, with indignation. "I would remind you that you live here only because the Ministry of Magic permits you certain areas of land —"
An arrow flew so close to her head that it caught at her mousy hair in passing. She let out an earsplitting scream and threw her hands over her head while some of the centaurs bellowed their approval and others laughed raucously. Alicia couldn't help but do the same. The sound of their wild, neighing laughter echoing around the dimly lit clearing.
"Whose forest is it now, human?" bellowed Bane.
"Filthy half-breeds!" she screamed, her hands still tight over her head. "Beasts! Uncontrolled animals!"
"Be quiet!" shouted Hermione, but it was too late — Umbridge pointed her wand at Magorian and screamed, "Incarcerous!"
Ropes flew out of midair like thick snakes, wrapping themselves tightly around the centaur's torso and trapping his arms. He gave a cry of rage and reared onto his hind legs, attempting to free himself, while the other centaurs charged.
Alicia grabbed Harry, not being surprised by this attack, and Harry grabbed Hermione, the two diving for the ground and pulling her with them. On the forest floor Alicia glanced around, wondering if they'd trample them, terror filling her for a moment, but the centaurs leapt over and around them, bellowing and screaming with rage.
"Nooooo!" Umbridge shriek. "Noooooo… I am Senior Undersecretary… you cannot… unhand me, you animals… nooooo!"
There was a flash of red light as she attempted to Stun one of them — then she screamed very loudly. Alicia saw that Umbridge had been seized from behind by Bane and lifted high into the air, wriggling and yelling with fright. Her wand fell from her hand to the ground and a centaur's hoof descended upon the wand and it broke cleanly in half.
"Now!" roared a voice and Alicia saw the centaurs approach them and lift the three upright. Over the plunging, many-coloured backs and heads of the centaurs Harry saw Umbridge being borne away through the trees by Bane, still screaming nonstop; her voice grew fainter and fainter until they could no longer hear it over the trampling of hooves surrounding them.
"And these?" said the hard-faced, grey centaur holding Hermione.
"They are young," said a slow, doleful voice from behind Harry. "We do not attack foals."
"They brought her here, Ronan," replied the centaur who had such a firm grip on Harry. "And they are not so young… He is nearing manhood, this one…"
"We can't do the right thing by you by leaving if you choose to punish us." Alicia said "We want nothing from you. Human's cannot possibly try to reach above your expectations of us if we cannot learn as children." she believed.
"Please," said Hermione breathlessly, "please, don't attack us, we don't think like her, we aren't Ministry of Magic employees! We only came in here because we hoped you'd drive her off for us —"
Alicia looked at Hermione like she was insane. And she knew instantly that it was an insult to the centaurs as the one holding Hermione threw back his head, his back legs stamping furiously, and bellowed, "You see, Ronan? They already have the arrogance of their kind! So we were to do your dirty work, were we, human girl? We were to act as your servants, drive away your enemies like obedient hounds?"
"That's not what we wanted! You are not servants! You attacked by your own choice we did not make you or ask you or expect you to!" Alicia lied slightly, annoyed.
"No!" said Hermione in a horrorstruck squeak. "Please — I didn't mean that! I just hoped you'd be able to — to help us —"
But she seemed to be going from bad to worse.
"We do not help humans!" snarled the centaur holding Harry, tightening his grip and rearing a little at the same time, so that Harry's feet left the ground momentarily. "We are a race apart and proud to be so… We will not permit you to walk from here, boasting that we did your bidding!"
"You didn't do our bidding! You hardly even injured her!" Alicia complained.
"We're not going to say anything like that!" Harry shouted. "We know you didn't do anything because we wanted you to —"
But nobody seemed to be listening to him. A bearded centaur toward the back of the crowd shouted, "They came here unasked, they must pay the consequences!"
A roar of approval met these words and a dun-coloured centaur shouted, "They can join the woman!"
"You said you didn't hurt the innocent!" shouted Hermione, real tears sliding down her face now. "We haven't done anything to hurt you, we haven't used wands or threats, we just want to go back to school, please let us go back —"
"We are not all like the traitor Firenze, human girl!" shouted the grey centaur, to more neighing roars of approval from his fellows. "Perhaps you thought us pretty talking horses? We are an ancient people who will not stand wizard invasions and insults! We do not recognise your laws, we do not acknowledge your superiority, we are —"
But they did not hear what else centaurs were, for at that moment there came a crashing noise on the edge of the clearing so loud that all of them — Harry, Hermione, Alicia and the fifty or so centaurs filling the clearing — looked around. Alicia was dropped and released and Harry's centaur let him fall to the ground again also as his hands flew to his bow and quiver of arrows; Hermione had been dropped too, and the three hurried toward each other as two thick tree trunks parted ominously and the monstrous form of Grawp the giant appeared in the gap.
Alicia gapped up at the giant, having not seen him yet.
"I thought he was tied up somewhere?" Alicia asked shocked, the giant apparently having been tied to two thick trees to keep him wondering away and getting seen by students or teachers.
The centaurs nearest him backed into those behind. The clearing was now a forest of bows and arrows waiting to be fired, all pointing upward at the enormous greyish face now looming over them from just beneath the thick canopy of branches. Grawp's lopsided mouth was gaping stupidly. They could see his bricklike yellow teeth glimmering in the half-light, his dull sludge-coloured eyes narrowed as he squinted down at the creatures at his feet. Broken ropes trailed from both ankles.
He opened his mouth even wider.
"Hagger."
Alicia looked surprised, maybe Hagrid had taught him something, though she didn't know if that was english or not, though Hermione was Hermy so maybe some words Hagrid had slightly modified to make easier. If so, what was Hagger easier for? Or was it the language of the giants?
Hermione gripped Harry's arm as the centaurs were silent, staring up at the giant. They watched as the huge, round head moved from side to side as he continued to peer amongst them as though looking for something he had dropped.
"Hagger!" he said again, more insistently.
"Get away from here, giant!" called Magorian. "You are not welcome among us!"
These words seemed to make no impression whatsoever on Grawp. He stooped a little (the centaurs' arms tensed on their bows) and then bellowed, "HAGGER!"
A few of the centaurs looked worried now. Hermione, however, gave a gasp.
"Harry!" she whispered. "I think he's trying to say 'Hagrid'!"
"I was thinking it might be a simplification for something…" Alicia mumbled "Guess Hagrid accomplished something after all…"
At this precise moment Grawp caught sight of them, the only three humans in a sea of centaurs. He lowered his head another foot or so, staring intently at them. Harry could feel Hermione shaking as Grawp opened his mouth wide again and said, in a deep, rumbling voice, "Hermy."
"Goodness," said Hermione, gripping Harry's arm even tighter. Alicia wondered whether it'd fall off if she didn't let go. "he — he remembered!"
"HERMY!" roared Grawp. "WHERE HAGGER?"
"I don't know!" squealed Hermione, terrified. "I'm sorry, Grawp, I don't know!"
"GRAWP WANT HAGGER!"
One of the giant's massive hands swooped down upon them — Hermione let out a real scream, ran a few steps backward and fell over. Alicia too moved backwards to avoid the big hand but Harry seemed prepared to do something more courageous, what he planned to do against a giant Alicia had no idea. Even still the hand flew toward him and knocked a snow-white centaur off his legs.
It was what the centaurs had been waiting for — Grawp's outstretched fingers were a foot from Harry when fifty arrows went soaring through the air at the giant, peppering his enormous face, causing him to howl with pain and rage and straighten up again, rubbing his face with his enormous hands, breaking off the arrow shafts but forcing the heads in still deeper.
He yelled and stamped his enormous feet and the centaurs scattered out of the way. Pebble-sized droplets of Grawp's blood showered Harry and Alicia as they pulled Hermione to her feet and they ran as fast as they could for the shelter of the trees. Once there they looked back — Grawp was snatching blindly at the centaurs as blood ran all down his face; they were retreating in disorder, galloping away through the trees on the other side of the clearing. As Harry, Alicia and Hermione watched, Grawp gave another roar of fury and plunged after them, smashing more trees aside as he went.
"Oh no," said Hermione, quaking so badly that her knees gave way. "Oh, that was horrible. And he might kill them all…"
"I'm not that fussed, to be honest," said Harry bitterly.
"Kind of hard to be after that." Alicia nodded
The sounds of the galloping centaurs and the blundering giant were growing fainter and fainter. As Harry listened to them his scar gave another great throb and a wave of terror swept over him. Alicia felt it and she reached for her neck and then looked at her hand as though looking for a sign of it on her palm. It reminded her of why they'd been here in the first place. Sirius was in trouble… or all the signs pointed to him being in trouble. Kreacher said he hadn't been at home but there was no way Alicia trusted the elf after everything. And he was just too happy… and there was how he continued to disappear in which Alicia doubted he spent all that time in the attic for…
She didn't want to believe Kreacher, she wanted to believe that he was purposely toying with them, they couldn't make him tell the truth… But if she didn't go either to Grimmauld Place or the Ministry how would she know? Would Snape have contacted and done something with the order? Was it all being settled? If so they'd need to go and talk to him…
Would he even say anything? Alicia wondered.
She glanced at Harry, she doubted very much he'd believe what she said, or even want to waste more time than they already had in trying to placate her. But she felt running off to the ministry could cause worse trouble. She had a bad feeling and she'd learnt that they were important.
There was also the fact that none of them had a wand and they were stuck in the middle of the Forbidden Forest with no means of transport whatsoever.
Seemed Harry noticed this too.
"Smart plan," he spat at Hermione, keen to release some of his fury. "Really smart plan. Where do we go from here?"
"We need to get back up to the castle," said Hermione faintly.
"By the time we've done that, Sirius'll probably be dead!" said Harry, kicking a nearby tree in temper; there was a high-pitched chattering overhead and he looked up to see an angry bowtruckle flexing its long twiglike fingers at him.
"Well, we can't do anything without wands," said Hermione hopelessly, dragging herself up again.
"Which we need if we're to venture to the Ministry where Voldemort is!" Alicia snapped back at Harry. He glanced at her but said nothing.
"Anyway, Harry, how exactly were you planning to get all the way to London?"
"Yeah, we were just wondering that," said a familiar voice from behind her.