Fight and Flight

Arthur didn't know yet what Chrys was planning, or even if she did have a plan.

He walked half a pace behind her as they headed down the corridor outside of Umbridge's classroom, knowing it would look suspicious if he appeared like he didn't know where he was going.

He didn't even dare to speak a word as Umbridge walked closely behind them to the point that Arthur could hear her ragged breathing.

Chrys led them the way down the stairs into the Entrance Hall. They could hear loud voices and the clatter of cutlery on plates echoing from the double doors to the Great Hall.

Chrys walked straight out of the oak front doors and down the stone steps into the balmy evening air. The sun was falling towards the tops of the trees in the Forbidden Forest.

Chrys now marched purposefully across the grass - Umbridge jogging to keep up - the long dark shadows of the trees rippled over the grass behind them like cloaks.

"It's hidden in Hagrid's hut, isn't it?" Umbridge said eagerly in Arthur's ear.

"It isn't!" Chrys said scathingly. "Hagrid would've set it off accidentally!"

Arthur was now understanding what Chrys' plan was: to bring Umbridge to Grawp.

"Yes." Umbridge said, her excitement mounting. "Yes, he would have done, of course, the great half-breed oaf."

She then laughed and Arthur wished so much to turn around and choke the living life out of her, but he resisted.

His scar now throbbed in the soft evening air, though it still hadn't burned white hote, knowing it would mean Voldemort moved in for the kill.

"Then… where is it?" Umbridge asked with a hint of uncertainty in her voice as Chrys continued towards the Forest.

"In the Forest." Chrys replied. "It had to be somewhere that students couldn't find it accidentally."

"Of course." Umbridge said, though sounding apprehensive. "Of course… very well, then… you two stay ahead of me."

As the three reached the cool shade of the first trees, Arthur tried catching Chrys' eye; walking into the Forest without any wands had to be the most foolish thing he could imagine. Chrys just gave Umbridge a contemptuous glance and plunged into the trees, moving at such a pace that Umbrige had difficulty keeping up with her short legs.

"Is it very far in?" Umbridge asked as her robe ripped on a bramble.

"Yep." Chrys said. "It's well hidden."

She led them deeper and deeper into the Forest, Arthur getting concerned about what would happen if they encountered Grawp.

"Are you sure this is the right way?" He asked her.

"Yes." Chrys said in a steely voice, crashing through the undergrowth with what he felt was an unnecessary amount of noise.

Behind them, Umbridge tripped over a fallen sapling. Neither paused to help her up; Chrys just strode on, calling loudly over her shoulder "It's a bit further in!"

"Will you keep your voice down?" Arthur muttered. "Anything could hear us -"

"That's the point. Especially for Grawp." Chrys said quietly as Umbridge jogged noisily after them.

They walked on for what felt like a long time until they were so deep into the Forest that the dense tree canopy blocked out all light.

Arthur now felt like he was being watched by unseen eyes.

"How much further?" Umbridge demanded angrily behind them.

"Not far now!" Chrys shouted as they emerged in a dim and dank clearing. "Just a bit -"

An arrow flew through the air, landing with a menacing thud in the tree just over her head.

The air was now filled with the sound of hooves. Arthur felt the Forest floor trembling; Umbridge gave a little scream and pushed him in front of her like some shield.

He was able to wrench himself free of her and turned.

There were around fifty centaurs emerging on every side, their bows raised and loaded, pointing at Arthur, Chrys and Umbridge. They all backed slowly into the centre of the clearing, Umbridge uttering whimpers of terror.

Arthur looked over at Chrys and she was a bit scared, as this wasn't the plan.

"Who are you?" A voice said.

Arthur looked left and saw a chestnut bodied centaur walking towards them out of the circle: his bow, like the others', was raised. On Arthur's right, Umbridge still whimpered, her wand trembling violently as she pointed it at the advancing centaur.

"I asked you who are you, human." The centaur said roughly.

"I am Dolores Umbridge!" Umbridge said in a high pitched, terrified voice. "Senior Undersecretary to the Minister for Magic and Headmistress and High Inquisitor of Hogwarts!"

"You are from the Ministry of Magic?" The centaur said as many of his kin in the surrounding circle shifted restlessly.

"That's right!" Umbridge said 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?" A wild looking black centaur shouted, who Arthur recognised as Bane. There was now angry muttering and tightening of bowstrings around them.

"Don't call them that!" Chrys said furiously, but Umbridge didn't listen.

She just continued pointing her wand shakily at the chestnut centaur, continuing "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'?" The chestnut centaur repeated 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?" A hard faced grey centaur bellowed out. "Why are you here?"

"Your Forest?" Umbridge said, shaking not just with fright but with indignation as well. "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 actually let out an ear splitting scream and threw her hands over her head. Some of the centaurs bellowed their approval and others laughed raucously. The sound of their wild, neighing laughter echoed around the dimly lit clearing and their pawing hooves unnerved Arthur.

"Whose Forest is it now, human?" Bane bellowed.

"Filthy half-breeds!" Umbridge screamed, her hands still tight over her head. "Beasts! Uncontrollable animals!"

"SHUT UP, YOU STUPID BITCH!" Chrys shouted, but it was too late: Umbridge pointed her wand at the chestnut centaur and screamed "Incarcerous!"

Ropes flew out of her wand in mid air like thick snakes, wrapping themselves tightly around the centaur's torso and trapping his arms: he gave a cry of rage and reared on his hind legs, attempting to free himself as the other centaurs charged.

Arthur instantly grabbed Chrys and pulled her to the ground.

Now face down on the Forest floor, he felt and heard many hooves thundering around him, yet the centaurs leapt over and around him and Chrys, bellowing and screaming with rage.

"Nooooo!" He heard Umbridge shriek. "Noooooo… I am Senior Undersecretary… you cannot - Unhand me, you animals… nooooo!"

Arthur saw a flash of red light, meaning she tried to Stun one of them before she screamed very loudly.

Lifting his head a few inches, Arthur saw Umbridge being seized from behind by Bane and was lifted high into the air, wriggling and yelling with fright. Her wand had fallen from her hand to the ground, which was broken in half by a centaur's hoove that descended upon it.

"Now!" A voice roared in Arthur's ear and a thick hairy arm descended from thin air and dragged him upright, as well as Chrys, who was pulled to her feet.

Over the plunging, many coloured backs and heads of the centaurs, Arthur saw Umbridge being carried away through the trees by Bane. She screamed non stop until her voice could no longer be heard over the trampling of hooves surrounding them.

"And these?" The grey centaur holding Chrys said.

"They are young." A slow, doleful voice said from behind Arthur. "We do not attack foals."

"They brought her here, Ronan." The centaur holding Arthur said. "And they are not so young… he is nearing manhood, this one."

He shook Arthur by his shirt.

"Please…" Chrys said breathlessly. "...please don't attack us, we despise her, we're not from the Ministry of Magic! We only brought her here to have Hagrid's giant take care of her! I swear!"

Suddenly, a crashing noise on the edge of the clearing filled the air. It was so loud that everyone looked around. Arthur's centaur let him fall to the ground as his hands flew to his bow and quiver of arrows.

Chrys was dropped as well and the two hurried to each other as two thick tree trunks parted ominously and a sixteen foot grey skinned giant appeared in the gap. It had brown green eyes and hair that looked like a mound of land.

The centaurs nearest him backed into those behind; the clearing was now a forest of bows and arrows that waited to be fired, all pointing at the large greyish face of Grawp that now loomed over them from just beneath the thick canopy of branches.

Grawp's lopsided mouth was gaping stupidly, his brick-like yellow teeth glimmering in the half light, his dull eyes narrowing as he squinted down at the centaurs at his feet. Broken ropes trailed from both ankles.

He then opened his mouth wider.

"Hagger."

Arthur had no idea what "Hagger" meant, or what language it was, but he didn't care; he watched Grawp's feet, which were almost as long as Arthur's entire body. Chrys gripped his arm tightly; the centaurs were silent, staring up at the giant, whose large, round head moved from side to side as he continued peering amongst them like he was looking for something.

"Hagger!" Grawp said, more insistently.

"Get away from here, giant!" A centaur said. "You are not welcome among us!"

These words didn't leave an impression on Grawp at all. He stooped a little (making the centaurs' arms tensed on their bows), before bellowing "HAGGER!"

A few centaurs looked worried as Chrys gasped.

"I think he's trying to say 'Hagrid'!"

At that moment, Grawp caught sight of them, the only two humans in a sea of centaurs. He lowered his head another foot or so, staring intently at them. Arthur felt Chrys shake as Grawp opened his mouth wide again and said, in a deep, rumbling voice "Cris."

"Goodness." Chrys said, gripping Arthur's so tightly that it grew numb. "He remembered!"

"CRIS!" Grawp roared. "WHERE HAGGER?"

"He's gone!" Chrys squealed in terror.

"GRAWP WANT HAGGER!"

One of his massive hands reached down.

Chrys made a real scream and ran a few steps back before falling over. Wandless, Arthur braced himself to punch, kick, bite or whatever as the hand now swooped towards him and knocked a snow white centaur off his legs.

That was what the centaurs waited for - Grawp's outstretched fingers were just a foot from Arthur when fifty arrows soared in the air at the giant, peppering his enormous face, making him howl in pain and rage, straightening up and rubbing his face with his large hands, breaking off arrow shafts but forcing the arrowheads in deeper.

He yelled and stamped his large feet and the centaurs all scattered out of the way; pebble sized droplets of Grawp's blood landed on Arthur's sleeve as he pulled himself and Chrys to their feet and they ran as fast as they could for the shelter of the trees.

Once there, they looked back; Grawp was now snatching blindly at the centaurs as blood ran down his face; they retreated in disorder, galloping away through the trees on the other side of the clearing.

Arthur and Chrys watched Grawp give another roar of fury and plunged after them, smashing more trees aside as he went.

"Honestly…." Chrys said as her knees gave way. "That's proof that Hagrid can be so stupid."

"Yeah…." Arthur said, shocked by what he had seen. "He is really stupid when it comes to dangerous creatures."

The sounds of the galloping centaurs and the blundering giant grew fainter and fainter.

Just then, Arthur's scar throbbed and a wave of terror swept over him.

They wasted so much time and were now in the middle of the Forest with no means of transport and Arthur didn't have his wand.

"What do we do now?" Arthur spat in bitterness.

"We'll have to get back up to the castle." Chrys said.

"But Sirius could be dead by that point!" Arthur said in desperation.

"But we can't do anything without our wands." Chrys said hopelessly, dragging herself back up. "Just how do we get to London?"

"We were wondering that ourselves." A familiar voice said from behind her.

The two moved together and peered through the trees.

David came into view with Mike, Mary, Neville and Luna hurrying behind him. They all looked worse for wear - there were long scratches running the length of Mary's cheek; a large purple lump was swelling above Neville's right eye; Mike's lip was bleeding worse than ever; David had a rip on his right sleeve and bled a bit - but they all looked pleased with themselves.

"Any ideas?" Mike asked as he gave Arthur his wand.

"How did you guys get away?" He asked in amazement as he took his wand.

"Oh, a couple of Stunners, a Disarming Charm, Neville did a nice Impediment Jinx." David said, handing Chrys her wand. "Mary had to be the best, though. She got Draco with her Bat Bogey Hex. It was brilliant. His whole face was covered in great flapping things. We saw you out of the window heading into the Forest."

"Where's Umbridge?" Mike asked.

"She got carried away by the centaurs." Arthur answered.

"And they left you behind?" Mary asked in astonishment.

"Not really. They got chased off by Grawp." Arthur shook his head.

"Who's Grawp?" Luna asked interestedly.

"Hagrid's half brother." David said promptly. "Moving on, Arthur, does Voldemort have Sirius?"

"He does." Arthur said, his scar giving another painful prickle. "I'm sure Sirius is still alive, we just need to figure out how to get to London."

Everyone fell silent, looking scared as the problem seemed insurmountable.

"Well, we'll have to fly, won't we?" Luna said in what had to be her best matter of fact voice.

Arthur thought about it. Only a certain number of them all had broomsticks, so they could use those. He looked around the Forest when he realised the best option: Thestrals. He remembered Hagrid saying that they have an amazing sense of direction.

He then looked and saw, standing between two trees, two Threstrals, who watched the group like they understood every word.

"Hello." He greeted them as he moved towards them. They tossed their reptilian heads and Arthur stretched out his hand eagerly, patting the nearest one's shining neck.

"Thestrals, of course!" David said.

"But there's only two of them, how are we gonna get seven of them?" Mike said.

"The blood." Chrys said, pointing at Arthur's sleeve where Grawp's blood stained it. One of the Thestral's ended up licking the sleeve. He then saw that Chrys was partly covered in blood as well.

"Okay, me and Mike will take these two and go ahead. Chrys, you stay here and attract more Thestrals -"

"There's no need." Luna smiled. "Look, here come more now… you two must really smell…."

Arthur turned and there more Thestrals, five more to be exact, picking their way through the trees, their great leathery wings folded tight to their bodies, their white eyes gleaming through the darkness.

"Alright." Arthur said. "Mount them and let's get a move on."

If only Dumbledore let the centaurs kill Umbridge.

Also, I'll be taking a short break after finishing this story just so I could finally watch HBO's The Last of Us. Once I'm done watching the show, I'll get back to writing this series.