Chapter 3 The More The Merrier —Right?
Thanks to darrelldeam for looking this over. All mistakes are my own, feel free to point them out.
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They broke camp the next morning and waited for Gundabald to show. The sun was barely peeking through the canopy, but the two adventurers were used to this by now. Harry was yawning; he had been up most of the night wondering what they would talk to the Centaurs about. "When do you think he'll show?" he asked, looking to the tree line.
"Soon," was the succinct answer from the equally tired Sirius.
"Dobby is being coming with you this time," the little elf said proudly.
"That you are, my friend," Harry said, patting the hat covered head, causing Dobby to beam at his Mas… boss.
They were all dressed comfortably in jeans and T-shirts, though Dobby's were riddled with pockets. They continued to wear the hats and boots. Now that his boots were broken in, Harry would say they were the most comfortable footwear that ever adorned his feet. If he had it his way trainers would never be worn again.
In the last week Sirius's and Harry's magic gotten stronger. It was like the more they used it, the stronger it got, which made the two wizards very happy. So now, when Sirius spelled them, the repelling charms lasted for days instead of one.
They waited for five more minutes and were just about to go and look for the Centaur camp when they heard hooves in the trees.
"Good morning to you both," Gundabald said as he approached. "Come, I will lead you to the elders. They are waiting." He gestured for them to follow and turned to the forest.
So the four set off to the village, Gundabald leading the way, following a trail only he could see. The usual noises accompanied them, the animals didn't seem bothered by the Centaur and the other three were spelled.
The unusual group of hikers came to a large clearing. There were about fifty Centaurs milling around the village, (Harry blushed at the naked chest of the women and averted his eyes) some cooking, some crafting bows and arrows or baskets, others just talking. Every now and then, one would look to the canopy, nod his or her head and then continue what they were doing. There were only two colts playing in the trees.
Harry looked around, it appeared the Centaurs had felled trees and then used them to create stable type houses. These houses didn't have a front wall. He could see that there were counters in the back for crafts or other projects. The only bit of furniture Harry saw was waist high tables and shelves that held dishes. There were no rooms or stalls or anything like that, it was more like there was just an empty space to the side, where they slept. There were blankets hanging off a wall to the side of that space, but there was nothing else in the lean-tos, though he could see curtains of a sort that were pulled to the side of the houses. Probably for privacy, he mused.
There was a large fire pit in the middle of the clearing, with a huge cauldron sitting on a stand above the fire. The iron stand had a hook where the pot hung; it looked like it would swing off the fire when the food was done. Harry had no idea where these Centaurs would get such a stand, but it looked helpful. There was some wonderful smelling stew in that pot, bubbling and burping.
All of this reminded Harry of a show he'd seen on the telly about the Indians, the ones here in South America or the ones of old in North America. It was all so simple.
Gundabald led them through the clearing to an area that had a long, waist high table with no chairs. Many of the Centaurs looked up at their passing and whispers started among them. Harry ignored it the best he could, quite used to people whispering about him. Sirius seemed to be taking it well, but Dobby was on edge.
There were three older male Centaurs at the table— waiting. One looked ecstatic that they were there, the second didn't appear to be as happy as his friend, the last was completely apathetic.
The oldest, who was the happy one, had steel-grey hair, coat and tail, like his had been showered with metal. He was the most fragile looking one, which wasn't saying much, because Harry was sure the horseman would tear him apart in an instant. No, it was more like he shrunk. But the power of authority was coming off him like a beacon. Harry had no doubt this was the man in charge.
As they came to the table, their escort introduced them, "Harry Potter, Sirius Black, these are the elders, Matta, Nahand and Iago." He pointed to the steel-grey Centaur first, and then one with long black hair, then the one with white hair. "Elders, these are the ones in flight," Gundabald finished with a small bow.
Matta nodded his head regally and then turned his attention to the three magicals. He lifted his grey eyebrow when he spotted the many pocketed Dobby. "You have freed your house elf," he stated with a smile. "This shows that the stars were correct about you, Harry Potter, you are open-minded enough to free a slave."
"Dobby is my friend," Harry stated firmly, not liking the reminder that Dobby had been enslaved. "He saved my life."
"Yous will not be hurting the Great Harry Potter," Dobby said defiantly, holding up his spindly hands as if to ward off an attack.
"Peace, children, we mean you no harm," Matta said, quirking his eyebrows at the two little magicals. He smiled and said, "You are meant for great things, Harry Potter and Dobby. Together with your mentor you will do wonders."
"Are we sure these puny magicals are the ones spoken of in the prophecy?" the black-coated Nahand said with a grimace. "They are so small." He smirked at the affronted looks.
"You know the stars as well as I," Matta said, turning his head to his second in command. "They speak of two in flight. These two humans are in such a state. The little one is free to go where he will; he is not tied down or on the run from anything, therefore, not part of the foretelling." He put his hand on the shoulder of the skittish horseman, knowing Nahand never liked magicals or humans for that matter.
"Can I ask a question?" Harry said, bringing everyone's attention back to him. "It's not an important one, but I'm curious, how is it that you can speak English? I mean, yeah, it's accented, but still, pretty good."
"Many, many moons ago," the white-coated Iago said in a story telling fashion, his hooves stomping on the ground gently, like he was trying to find a soft spot to stand. "Our forefathers were banished from Portugal. We went to our English brethren and sought refuge there. They taught us their language and ways. We were not stargazers then, we were hunters, but we learned quickly, for divination is in our blood. We used the entrails of animals to portray the future, but our cousins turned us to the way of the stars. We had lost our history, during one of our wars with wizards. We became vegetarians. When the herds became over crowded, we set off to the new land. We were not welcome in the north, so we ventured south. We came across this great forest and settled. The reason we still speak the language is because the stars foretold that one day we would need it. So we speak both Portuguese and English to keep up both traditions." He finished with a twinkle in his eyes, not like the Headmaster, no, this was from doing something he liked.
"Thanks… Iago, that was an interesting history," Harry said with a brilliant smile, hoping to easy the slight tension in the air.
"You are most welcome, Harry Potter," Iago said, also smiling, causing the wrinkles on his face to shift to a good-natured appearance.
"Iago is our historian. He tells the colts the stories of years passed. We would be lost without such as he and his ancestors," Matta said, clapping the other horseman on the back, beaming with pride.
Nahand scoffed and then darted his eyes away at the look he got from the leader. "Why are you in the rainforest, travelers?" he asked to change the subject away from things he didn't think humans should know.
"We're looking for the Lost City of Z," Sirius answered with a confused tone and a tilt of his head. He thought they already knew.
"Yes, but, why?" the dark-coated Centaur asked.
"Seemed like the thing to do at the time," Sirius answered nonchalantly, shrugging his shoulder.
"You are not looking for great treasures?" Nahand accused, folding his arms over his chest and stomping his rear legs, making his tail swish in agitation.
"Nope, just looking for a place to live where we can't be found," Sirius said calmly. "We might invite some friends along, when we've settled."
"And how are you going to prevent the Brazilian government from deporting you?" the argumentative Centaur inquired.
"Bribes," was the succinct answer.
"Bribes?" Harry asked, now completely lost.
"Governments are corrupt, most of them, if you want something done, you bribe the highest leader," his godfather explained. "How do you think I wound up in Azkaban without a trial?" He wasn't actually sure that's what happened, but it did make a lot of sense. He had no idea who, but he wouldn't put it past his dear mother. He had a fleeting thought Dumbledore had something to do with it, but banished it quickly.
"That's no way to run a country," Harry protested having read the book on governments during the long nights. Though, he figured that was the way Magical Britain was run, given all the stories he'd heard about Fudge getting 'gifts' from Mr. Malfoy.
"Yet it is very true," Matta said softly. "Enough arguing, we are here to discuss what to do now. The prophecy we hold foretells of us migrating to the lost city. We found the city many moons ago; however, we cannot get through the wards. Only one of great magic can do that," he explained, looking at Harry.
"I don't have 'great magic'," the green-eyed teen said loudly. "I'm pants at theory and struggle with practical. If it hadn't been for my friend, Hermione, I'd've failed long ago." He was tired of people expecting things from him. Why couldn't they see he was just a teenage boy who liked girls, complained about his homework and played a mean game of Quidditch? But, no, everyone wanted something from him and he was getting pissed.
"You underestimate yourself, young one," Matta said. "We will show you different."
By now a crowd had surrounded them and some were happy they were there, others were not. Harry looked around at all the faces, trying to judge who he had to be wary of. He looked back to the elders and noted that Nahand was the only one who seemed to want them gone.
"Let me get this straight," Harry said slowly as if in deep thought. "You want to come with us to the Lost City of Z? I can tell by looking around not everyone wants to tag along." He gestured to the Centaurs behind him. "You're not going to force them are you, because in my opinion that would be bad." He folded his arms and glared at the steel-coated horseman, causing some of the protestors to look at him strangely.
"No," the leader assured him, "I will not force anyone to leave their home."
"Good," Harry said with a sharp nod.
"I will, however, ask that they do come. For if we are divided then there will not be enough to continue our race in this country. We are the only Centaurs in the forest; our numbers are small and dwindle every year. I fear for us," Matta said sadly, glancing at the only two colts, both boys, the last two who were unrelated to the second degree. If a girl is not born soon to one of the mothers, they will not survive long. Even then, there was little hope.
"Oh," Harry said, "well, you could ask the ones in the Forbidden Forest if they want to come over here. They're not well treated back home. I'm not sure they'll join us or you, most of them don't like wizards." He was thinking of Firenze and Bane, two polar opposites, yet both looked down on by the British magical community. Firenze would join them, but Bane would want to be as far away from humans as he could get. That herd was also divided.
As one the whole herd looked to the sky. They sat like that for ten minutes, making the three magicals fidget. Then as one they stopped.
"Venus shines bright for us," Nahand said, "your plan may yet be well received. Mars is still telling of your destiny, young wizard, you would do well to heed it." He nodded his head and turned and trotted off, as if he had suddenly remembered something he had to do. A good quarter of the crowd followed.
"Harry's right," Sirius said as he looked fondly at his godson, "there are many Centaurs that don't like Britain and they'll be happy to relocate. But, they also don't like wizards, well most. So they will probably be as split as your community seems to be."
"Yes, that is what we see, however, it will also strengthen both herds. The stars will tell them to come." Matta looked once more to the sky.
"Should you write a letter anyway? It's only polite," Harry asked quietly, not wanting to offend the leader.
"You are correct, child. Will you lend me your house elf?" the steel-coated Centaur asked with a slight chuckle. He predicted great things from this young wizard.
"Dobby, do you want to take a letter to the Centaurs in the Forbidden Forest?" the young wizard asked his diminutive friend.
"Dobby will be most happy to do that, Harry Potter, sir," Dobby answered, bouncing on the balls of his feet.
Sirius pulled out a pen and some paper, which cause quite a stir amongst the crowd. He showed the leader how to use the pen and then jerked his head to the side, wanting Harry to follow. The three magicals wandered to the side of the camp.
Sirius erected a Muffliato and asked, "Harry, are you sure you want to travel with these guys?" He cut a gaze to the Centaurs, who were looking at them. Then he looked back to his godson. "Centaurs are vague and moody. They'll always go by the way of the stars."
"Sirius, you heard them, they're dying out. Of course, we have to help," Harry argued, his saving people thing going into high gear. "Besides, maybe more people should listen to them; it's not like they're Trelawney." He really hated that woman after all he had to put up with this year, though, she really creeped him out with her one true prediction. He still wasn't sure what she meant, but if that prophecy came true then Voldemort was coming back, making Harry more than happy to be out of England.
"Okay, okay, I just had to ask," Sirius said with a chuckle. From all the stories that had been told these last few months, the godfather understood that Harry would not stand by and let the Centaurs suffer.
The two rejoined the two remaining elders. They talked about what would be needed on the journey. Matta said they would need a week to be ready. So Sirius put up the pup tent and they settled for the wait.
Gundabald joined them as they set up some folding chairs in front of their tent. "It is with a light heart that I bid you welcome in our midst," he said with a short bow. "It is now that we have hope for our young, thank you." He bowed his head in Harry's direction.
"I'm more than happy to help in any way I can," Harry said with a huge smile.
"I have come to tell you about the rest of our journey." The dark-coated Centaur said as he folded his legs down to settle on the ground. "The rainforest holds many dangers. The ones you have come across on your journey here were few and mild. Your charms prevented you from harm thus far; however, they will only do so much on our next leg."
"You mean there's something worse than the Bugalards?" Harry asked. He was hoping the cousins of the Dementors would be the worst they'd run into.
"Far worse," Gundabald nodded sagely. "We can fight most of them and will stand by your side should we come across these other creatures. I am here to tell you what to look for and how to defeat them."
Sirius and Harry sat up and paid close attention to the horseman.
"There are the Jacksaws, who will try to kill you in an instant if you use magic on them. They are impervious to it, but think it a danger to them still. They will not hesitate to tear your throat out should you throw a spell their way. They will be drawn by your repelling spells. They are small cat like creatures with silver fur that are quick and cunning. Should we run across them, let the herd handle it. Your magic will only make things worse."
"Right, leave the cats to you," Sirius said, thinking over what he had in his pouch. "I have a gun, and I know how to use it. Will that help?"
"You have a gun? Why haven't you used it before now?" Harry asked. His green eyes wide with shock. He never figured Sirius would use a muggle weapon.
"Well," Sirius said in an abashed voice, "they don't work on Bugalards and everything else stays away from us. But, I guess I should have told you and taught you how to use one."
"Right, so will a gun work on these Jacksaws?" Harry asked, turning to Gundabald, who was looking at them with a small smile.
"Yes, definitely, should you see the Jacksaws shot it in the eye. The next creature we should be wary of is the Spiral Snake. This snake is much like a cross between an anaconda and a cobra. It has the ability to enthrall its victim as it squeezes them to death. It is a magical snake that hides in the trees. Should you come across this snake a severing charm will remove the head."
"Ummm, so it's like that snake in the book, the Jungle Book," Harry said with a chuckle at the irony. Then he looked to his godfather weighing whether or not to tell. After a few minutes of thinking, he came to the conclusion that it was time to confess. "I'm a parselmouth. Will it listen to me?" he asked, trying to keep his attention on the Centaur, but Sirius got a look of despondence on his face and Harry knew he was going to have to defend his actions.
"Harry, why didn't you tell me?" Sirius asked, looking sad that his godson still didn't trust him. He thought after all this time Harry had told him everything he needed to know. Being a parselmouth would have been a great help this last week, what with all the snakes around.
"I told you how the whole school turned against me," Harry all but shouted, leaning forward in his chair, like he was going to get in his godfather's face. "Don't you think that's enough to be careful who I tell?" He had no idea why he was lashing out, just that he was extremely defensive when it came to how the school had treated him.
"Right," his godfather said, waving it off for later, not wanting to fight in the middle of the village. "We'll discuss your trust issues tonight, but now let's get back to the lecture." He turned back to Gundabald.
Harry huffed and threw himself back in this chair, but he too turned back to the Centaur.
"Yes, your ability to speak the snake language would be very helpful. The other beasts that roam the forest are minor, yet bothersome. There are of course the monkeys and they will pester the herd as we travel through their territory. The insects will also be an annoyance. We will be most thankful if you could cast your repelling charms on our coats," Gundabald finished his lecture.
"Not a problem," Sirius said with a wave of his hand. "Right, Harry, I have two guns, let's get you shooting." With that he got off his chair and hauled Harry up as well. "Thanks for letting us know, Gundabald, now we can better protect ourselves and the herd, of course."
Harry nodded his head to the nice horseman and sulked as he walked behind his godfather. The gentle Centaur got off the ground and went to speak to Matta.
Sirius and Harry went quite a ways outside of the camp so the noise wouldn't bother the Centaurs. Harry was still sullen so no matter what Sirius said, he wasn't talking.
They arrived near a large river, which could be the Amazon it was so big. On the bank Sirius conjured targets. He then proceeded to show Harry how to shoot a weapon. The noise was loud, but was muffled by the raging river. It was enough to cause the animals to screech and holler at them. The birds flew away and the monkeys scattered.
The two spent hours going over gun safety and how to shoot one. Harry finally got out of his funk when Sirius said he was hopeful that the teen would be good enough to carry his own firearm before they set out again. They trudged back to camp and went to their tent and cleaned up. Dobby was back from his mission and made them a nice pork fry-up for dinner.
After eating, they went back outside the tent to watch the working of the village. The Centaurs appeared to have just finished doing the dishes from their meal and were setting about to ready for the night. They all went to the small creek and washed away the days grime. Since they didn't wear clothes, they simply went to their lean-tos and fell asleep standing.
Matta came to the two magicals and said, "I wish to thank you for not firing your weapons near the village. Our colts are still unlearned about the ways of humans and we would like to teach them the better side of humanity before we move on to the worse."
"Not a problem. I completely understand," Sirius said, getting up from his chair and motioning Harry to do the same. "Let us know if we can help."
The steel-coated leader nodded his head and trotted off to the largest house.
The two wizards went into the tent and settled in the chairs, not tired quite yet.
"Why didn't you tell me you were a parselmouth?" Sirius asked once they settled.
"You seemed to hate everything Dark and all I've ever heard about speaking to snakes is that it is only done by Dark Lords, like Voldemort and Slytherin," the teen said defensively.
"Well, while it is true that those two were parselmouths, the guy who coined the word was an alchemist and healer," Sirius said seriously, eyeing the volatile teen.
"Really? Wicked. I've never heard of him," Harry said, perking up at that bit of information.
"He's on a Chocolate Frog Card, I don't remember his name, but we can look him up another time. I'm upset that you didn't trust me," the dogman said with a mocking pout. He had all day to think about it and now understood where the kid was coming from.
"After I got shunned, I really don't trust anyone with that. I only said something now, because it might save our lives and I didn't want to shock you in the middle of a fight," Harry said with a small smirk at seeing his godfather wasn't upset anymore.
"All right, pup, I'll forgive you this time. Anything else you want to talk about, before we hit the hay?"
"Tell me more about my mum," Harry requested. "You always talk about Dad, but rarely about Mum."
"To tell you the truth, I really didn't know Lily that well. I mostly teased and taunted your dad for mooning over her, but I never really sat down and talked to her," Sirius said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "I can tell you that after they married, there were some funny fights. Your mum had quite a temper and she never let James get away with anything. When she was pregnant with you it got worse. If he played a prank in the house, she would tear into to him something fierce." He smiled at the memory of his cowed best friend.
"You make her sound like a bitch," Harry said sharply.
"Don't cuss, and no, your mum just didn't like when James would act stupid, most of the time she was kind and gentle. The way she would coo over you and take care of you was the most beautiful thing I've ever witnessed," he said in a soft, yet hasty voice, not wanting Harry to think badly of his mum. "It's just she had a temper. Your parents weren't saints, Harry, they were normal human beings. They both had their good points and their bad. It took me a long time in Azkaban to see that. James was something of a bigoted snob, just like me. We hated Slytherins without just cause. We terrorized Snape all through school, just because he was friends with Lily and in Slytherin. Well, he was a right pain in the arse, but we usually started the fights." He hung his head a bit at the reminder of what an arse he had been in school. Not that he like Snivellus any better, but he had been a bully plain and simple.
"That's still better than thinking they were drunks on the dole, who died in a car crash," Harry said, calming down. He was actually thankful someone didn't sugarcoat his parents. The way people talked about them they never did any wrong. It was good to hear a different point of view.
"Who told you that?" Sirius said, snapping his head up and glaring at his godson.
"The Dursleys."
"I will never understand what was going through Albus's mind when he put you there," the older man said morosely. He had such great faith in the Headmaster, but the more he heard about Harry's life the more that dwindled.
"Don't know, really, he never told me. He'd only say that's where I'm safest," Harry shrugged.
"Well, no point on dwelling over it now. We'll find the lost city and build a new life," Sirius said, trying to lighten the mood.
"I was thinking about something Matta said," the young man said thoughtfully. "He said there weren't enough Centaurs to keep the herd going. How are we going to build a city with no people? I mean, yeah, I'm going to invite Ron and Hermione and their families, though I'm not sure the Weasleys will come. But that's only like thirteen people."
"You let me worry about that, I've got connections," his godfather said, reaching over and ruffling Harry's hair. "Let's get to bed and worry about the small stuff later."
The next morning, when they emerged from the tent, they got quite a shock. There in the middle of the clearing — munching on a huge silver and black snake— was Buckbeak. Sirius and Harry went to their friend and bowed; when the hippogriff bowed back, they petted and cooed over him.
"I am so glad you're back, my friend," Sirius said as he patted the majestic creature's neck. "I was worried that you had tangled with something and was injured."
Buckbeak took offence to this and snapped his beak at the man.
"Sorry, sorry, you're more than capable of defending yourself," the wizard said quickly, checking his hand to make sure it was there.
"I'm just glad you're back," Harry said, "Maybe you'll let us ride you. The Centaurs move much faster than we do and I don't want to have to run to keep up with them," he explained to his feathered friend, who he was sure understood.
As if proving him right, the hippogriff seemed to be deep in thought. After a minute he bowed his head as if to agree.
"Great! We'll make sure we don't tire you out," the young wizard promised. They continued to make their friend feel welcome as the village looked on. Eventually Matta came towards them.
The steel-coated Centaur bowed to the hippogriff and waited for acknowledgement. When Buckbeak bowed back, the leader moved forward and stroked the mighty beast on the beak. "I see this is a friend of yours. He is most welcome in the camp and on our journey. As you can see, he can fight the Spiral Snake with ease," Matta said, waving his hand to the half-eaten silver and black snake.
"Oh, so that's what they look like," Harry said, peering at the weirdly marked snake. Just like its name, the colors spiraled around the body of the snake. "Are they all black and silver?"
"No, some are red and gold," Matta answered. "Those are the ones that are most dangerous. I am not convinced that anything short of a beheading will kill them. Though, I have never seen one shot with human guns."
"Speaking of which," Sirius said, "we need to get practicing. We'll be back in an hour or two." He stopped preening the hippogriff, nodded to Matta and turned to head to the river. Harry gave his friend one more pat, said his good-byes and then set off after his godfather.
They practiced for two hours, Harry was doing well. When they were done they went back to the village. The two wizards got another shock when they emerged from the forest. There were dozens more Centaurs milling about. These horsemen, and women, were paler than the natives. Oh, they were tan enough, but it wasn't quite as dark. Their hair was more mussed and the men sported beards. Harry recognized Firenze and went to talk to the kind Centaur.
"Hey, Firenze, remember me? We met in the Forbidden Forest, you saved my life. I still owe you for that," he added with a frown.
The brown-coated Centaur turned to the young wizard and said in a soft voice, "Harry Potter, it is my understanding that you are the one to suggest that we come here. It is written that it will save the herds, therefore you owe me nothing."
"How did you guys get here so fast?" Harry asked with a tilt of his head.
"Being known as Dark creatures has its advantage in England. One of ours merely asked a shady wizard to create illegal port-keys. It is thanks to your words that the stars changed their tune; we thought we were destined to die out and had accepted it as a forgone conclusion. Now we have hope. Two nights ago it was foretold that we would be journeying, so we were prepared when the letter came. Mars still shines bright on your future and we will stand by your side." Firenze said, putting his hand on the young wizards shoulder, his eyes were bright with untold emotions.
"Oh, well, I guess that makes sense. Thanks for that, I always welcome friends, but I don't want to see you guys get hurt," he added, making sure the Centaur understood that he meant it. When Firenze brushed the warning away, Harry sighed and changed the subject. "So, what's all the arguing about?" he asked, waving his hands to where Bane and Nahand were almost coming to blows, while Matta and another older Centaur, that Harry didn't know, were watching with mirth in their eyes.
"Dominancy," Firenze said, smiling a little at the scuffle. "They will work it out in a fight, until then they will argue." He shrugged his shoulders as if it was a given. "There is no word from the stars who will run this village when the adventurous ones leave."
"Oh, well, I guess that makes sense," Harry repeated, not really knowing what else to say, so he just watched the two hot-headed horsemen shove each other. Then he got bored and went to read. These people would figure it out for themselves.
Sirius joined him about an hour later, "So Matta and Melampus, the British leader, decided they will co-lead the ones going with us. There's going to be about seventy-five leaving and about the same number staying." He sat in a chair and accepted the cup of tea Dobby handed him.
Harry put down his book and sighed, "I thought it was just going to be us. Now we've got all these others to look out for."
"Pup, they can look out for themselves," Sirius replied with a quirk of an eyebrow, wondering at this shift of emotion. It was only yesterday that Harry was all for the Centaurs coming with them. "Why on earth would you think that people who have been living on their own for centuries would need some teenager to watch their back?" he asked, not knowing where Harry came up with these crazy ideas.
"What? No, that's not what I meant. I've been reading about governments and with all these different cultures, I'm worried that our peaceful city won't work. I mean how can we merge everything and still not fight?"
"Why don't you let the adults worry about that and you simply be a kid and do your schoolwork," his godfather suggested a bit firmly.
"Right, be a kid," Harry mused as if it were something he never thought about.
"So, hand me that book and start on some charms. I'll work everything out with Matta and Melampus," Sirius said, holding out his hand for the book on governments.
Harry gave up the book and went to the shelf that had schoolbooks and picked one up on charms. The two men lapsed into silence and read.
The next week went by in a flurry of making traveling containers, gathering food and water skins. The new Centaurs and the natives got on reasonably well. Oh, there were a few fights, but for the most part they came to an understanding.
One day Nahand confronted Bane. "I will be the leader of this village. It is our land, and no upstart from England will take it from me," he said, pushing the brown-coated Brit on the shoulder.
Bane sneered, "Were it not for our people, yours would die. I believe that makes me the leader." He pushed the black-coated Centaur back, making the native stumble.
Harry watched as the two started to fight. He held his wand in his hand, in case they turned on anyone but each other. He glanced and Sirius and saw the older man was also ready.
Bane had a nasty right hook his human body buffer than Nahand's, while Nahand used his forelegs as weapons, having a sturdier horse's frame. The fight encompassed the whole village and the other people looked on. Shouts of encouragement were thrown at both.
Nahand had just slashed Bane down the chest with his hooves and Bane had cut his opponent in the face with his fist.
Blood flowed, though neither of the fighters stopped their blows. Nahand continued to rear up and kick where he could, while Bane blocked those sharp hooves and punched the dark-coated Centaur on the larger horse chest. They went back and forth with their fists and hooves, neither gaining the upper hand. Both were bruised and bloody.
And the rest simply watched. This fight was needed to establish a leader.
Nahand turned and used his rear legs to kick the bleeding Brit in the chest, making Bane gasp in pain as those hooves met his injury. When Nahand turned to gloat, Bane returned the favor and kicked him in the head, making him stumble and his forelegs fold. He had to use his arms to keep from falling completely. He started breathing hard and shaking his head to clear it.
Bane, seeing his opponent down, picked up a larger rock and went to bash it over the native's head. That is when Matta and Melampus interfered.
"Stop," they said together in voices that boomed across the clearing. The two fighters did as commanded, Bane pawed the ground in agitation and Nahand struggled to stand.
Harry was wondering why they stopped the fight, from what he knew these dominancy plays were supposed to end when one couldn't fight any longer. He crept closer to hear the four talk. The rest of the Centaurs crowded around the four as well, all were wondering the same as Harry.
Matta looked to the bleeding horsemen. "This is not a fight to the death," he reprimanded Bane with a glare that could freeze fire. "We are too few to lose anyone."
Melampus stood by his new friend's side, nodding in agreement. "Bane, long have I told you that you must control your temper."
"We need to finish this," Bane protested, not really seeing why his hand was stayed.
"You would endanger the herd by killing a stud?" Matta asked.
"We have brought many fine males and females. Besides, I was only going to injure him, not kill. You should not have interfered. You are too soft to lead," he spat at both the older Centaurs. Then he whirled around, knowing that once these pacifists left the fight for leadership would happen.
Nahand turned to his ex-leader and angrily said, "Bane is correct, you should not have interfered." Then he too whirled around and trotted to the other side of the clearing, his thoughts echoed Bane's.
The two leaders sighed, knowing their words would go unheeded. The confused crowd dispersed and went about their nightly routine, some going to tend to their friends. All debating on whether the leaders were correct or not.
Harry, having learned all he could, went back to the tent to ready for bed. Sirius joined him, now that the excitement was over. They would be leaving in the morning, so they asked Dobby if he would pack everything they had removed from the bag, and soon enough were fast asleep.