I do not own Harry Potter, the Wizarding World, or any canon characters.
I'm happy to announce that the commissioned covers are done and they should be showing up soon. I had one done for my major stories and do take a look. I think they're all fantastic and hope you all like them as much as I do. Babbling Brook is wonderful. As always, thank you for reading and hope you all have a lovely day!
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A Taste of Magic
56th Course – Busy Beginning
"What is that?" Seamus gasped.
"What, do I have something on me?" Harry asked, looking down at himself and turning in place.
"He means your knife," Lavender giggled.
"That's not a knife," Dean said, eyes round. "That's a bloody sword!"
"Technically it's a knife," Harry said, patting the handle and bolster lovingly. "Just a bigger one. It was scaled up some but I think it's great."
"Where did you get that?" Seamus asked.
"It was a gift for my birthday," Harry said proudly. "Specifically for field-craft and wilderness things."
"That's right," Hagrid said, walking up to his Care of Magical Creatures class with his customary good-natured smile that grew when he saw Harry wearing the knife. "Modeled after a puukko knife, a general-purpose knife from Finland." He rubbed his neck sheepishly when he looked at it on Harry's waist. "It is a bit big. I could get it sized down some."
"I'll grow into it," Harry said.
"Yeah you will," Hagrid said proudly. "Right! We're havin' a special group lesson today that's goin' to be a lot of fun. Here we are." He waved when Remus approached with his class of Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs. Padma and Sue and Susan waved merrily and joined their friends. "Follow me!"
The students followed Hagrid to a rough stone structure of sorts, right behind his hut and within sight of the Forbidden Forest. It looked almost like a mountain had grown there where there was not one previously, and a large door was in the front. Hagrid ushered them into it and the immediate area around the entrance was lit by lanterns but the rest of the cavern was shrouded in shadow.
"Where did this come from?" Hermione asked.
"I set up the foundation and Professor Lupin and Professor McGonagall helped with the rest," Hagrid said. "Otherwise we'd have to hike a while into the forest to get to the mountains or use a Portkey and we decided this would be fine for a week or so for lessons."
"What was that?" Pansy asked when she heard a skittering noise. She drew closer to Harry, looking up at the dark roof with trepidation.
"Our lesson!" Hagrid smiled. "I got inspired by Harry and Professor Lupin here and we thought a joint class would be a lot of fun."
Harry looked at Hagrid with mild confusion for a moment before more skittering and scuttering could be heard and he brightened. "Oh! I know what it is!"
"Let's see if the others can figure it out," Remus smiled. "So, I will give a few hints. It was mentioned briefly last year. It can climb the walls. And it uses darkness to aid its natural camouflaging abilities."
Lavender turned and shrieked loudly, jumping back and into Harry. This made the others turn and yelps and shouts were heard too when they saw an armored, multi-legged form climbing the rough rock wall, back into the shadows. "What was that?!" she yelled, clutching Harry's back, hiding behind him.
"Oh crakes!" Padma said.
"Indeed! A point to Ravenclaw and a point to Gryffindor because Harry knew too," Remus smiled. "Yes, Professor Hagrid saw some crakes in the mountains around the school and we designed this temporary habitat for you to observe them and learn from them." He did a complicated wand movement and the light that came from the tip was cold and clear. He swept it around slowly and the majority of the students blanched and made noises when the light revealed crakes on the ceilings and in the nooks and crannies. Ron edged away from them all and stood firmly in a pool of bright light from one of the lanterns, and he was not the only one.
"Holy carp! They can get that big?!" Parvati exclaimed when a particularly large specimen scuttled down the far wall.
"Yep, depends on the species of course but they are one of the rare animals that grow to suit their environment and the state of it," Hagrid said. "If food is scarce and space is an issue, they remain small to limit movin' problems and need for food. If food is plentiful with plentiful space, they can get really big. In fact, one sec." Hagrid rolled up his sleeves and stomped fearlessly into the darkness.
"Now, I do not recommend that any of you do this," Remus said, unperturbed by Hagrid's actions. "Professor Hagrid is much tougher than you and I as well as stronger. Crake claws are very strong, since they need to cut and climb rock and stone, and they are very tenacious. And while they do not spit poison or touching them isn't poisonous, their meat can be extremely poisonous to some humans. They are also quite belligerent."
The students gasped when Hagrid tried to coax the large crake out and the crake took offense to it and attacked Hagrid. Hagrid grunted, hands holding the giant claws at bay while the giant crake tried to crush Hagrid against the stone and its large shelled body. "Now, just behave," Hagrid said in what he thought was a soothing tone, a tone ruined by his grunting and the crake's irritable mandible clacking. "We just want to have a good look at you!"
"Now there is a healthy debate between magizoologists from around the world if crakes are more spiders or more crabs," Remus lectured calmly, as if there was not a fight right behind him going on at the same moment. "Origins of the crake are debated but most believe it was a cross-breeding done a very long time ago between a species of magical crab and magical spider, and the products fled into the earth. Some species are more crab-like, preferring aquatic environments while others are more spider-like and do not care for water at all. All of them have similar shapes in form however, and the same characteristics of large claws and many legs, stalked eyes, mandibles, and a hard-shell body."
A loud thump shook the walls and the little crakes scattered to hide. Remus turned and saw Hagrid pinned against the wall with the crake trying to bite him. "Are you okay?"
"'m fine!" Hagrid wheezed. "He's trying to eat my beard! That's bad for you, drop it! Spit it out!"
"Hit him right behind the eye-stalks," Harry called out. "Right behind the ridge, a heavy hit with your fist should do it!"
Hagrid let go of a clawed leg and formed a fist, bringing it down heavily on the spot that Harry suggested. The crake immediately went limp, flopping over and legs kicking feebly. "Hey, I didn't know that," Hagrid smiled, pulling on his beard and looking at it. "Five points to Gryffindor."
"Chef taught me," Harry said proudly. "Said there's a nerve-cluster there and it'll knock them out."
"Do they recover from it?" Hagrid asked.
Harry shrugged sheepishly. "I don't know. We cooked them right after each time."
"Oh, well, if he doesn't recover the others will eat him, I suppose. Just as well really. He was eatin' up all the food of the others so now there'll be more for the rest." He dragged the crake into the lantern-light for the others to look at. "That's another thing. Sometimes you get an apex critter, a specimen that is sort of too big for where it's at. Usually fightin' between them can keep it from happenin' but once in a while it happens like this and for a healthier environment, they have to be culled a bit.
"You cooked these things?" Pansy asked, pointing at the very large crake.
"No, the ones we cooked were the smaller ones," Harry said, not noticing the looks from the majority of the other students.
After the rest of the lesson, which was Hagrid going over the anatomy of the crake and Remus educating them on their camouflage abilities, the majority of the students left, eager to leave the man-made cave of skittering crakes for the warm sunlight. Harry left last and smiled when Hagrid shut the door securely. "That was a fun lesson!"
"Glad you liked it," Hagrid smiled back. He looked about furtively for a moment. "You don't have anywhere to be, do you?"
"Not really. Why?" Harry smiled when Hagrid looked at the cave-mound and back at him. "I think I can make something."
"Great!" Hagrid smiled. "I'll go grab a few. I got that tall stock pot in my cabin. Let's do it out here."
"Ooh, I want to try some," Parvati said. "I love crab normally."
"But what if you're one of the people that find it poisonous?" Lavender asked.
"Oh right, drat."
Remus hummed. "I will be right back. Let me go check on something." By the time Hagrid came out with a box of crakes, Remus returned with Flitwick, Pomfrey, and Dumbledore in tow. "So as it turns out, there is a fairly simple test to determine if you would find it poisonous are not. We also have plenty of the anti-toxin as well."
"Which is no reason to eat any if you are one that finds it poisonous," Pomfrey said severely. "I personally don't see a reason to eat something with the chance to poison yourself as it is."
"I will remember that next time we drink together," Flitwick said with a bright smile in Gobbledegook.
Harry gasped when Pomfrey retorted.
"Do…do you understand Gobbledegook?" Pomfrey asked weakly, blushing.
"I'm learning," Harry nodded, eyes wide.
"Forget what I just said," she said hurriedly. "And no translating!"
The test was sipping a kind of identifying potion and those that found it to be very bitter and disgusting would be allergic to the crake meat. Hermione, Ron, Millicent, and Terry reacted to it and Hermione and Millicent looked glum while Ron and Terry looked relieved.
Harry asked for Inky and after some quick conversation, she popped away and returned with a small basket of a few crabs. "I'd ordered these to be held because I figured I'd have a craving for a crab chowder at some point," Harry explained. "But I'll make it for you guys while the others can have the crake chowder."
"Thanks Harry!" Millicent and Hermione exclaimed, hugging him while Ron and Terry looked embarrassed but pleased as well, thanking him too. They watched as he and Hagrid set up an outdoor kitchen of sorts, with Dumbledore conjuring the fire for them and soon had smoldering coals at the ready.
Flitwick whistled as Harry stunned the crakes in short order and arranged them to boil in the stock pot. "Now that is some fast and good work. I've seen many do that many times and you do it quite well."
"Chef was a great mentor," Harry said proudly.
"Ooh, Harry much faster," Inky praised as she helped him prepare the vegetables.
"I learned a lot over the summer," Harry smiled.
"Is that a new knife?" Pansy asked. "The chef knife, not the very big one."
"Oh yeah, I forgot you didn't see it." He showed it off to her.
"Oh wow," she gasped when she saw the symbol at the end of it. "My family has a few of their things! They're highly prized."
Harry recounted the story of the blade's history while he worked. His friends and the adults listened with great interest.
"That's incredible," Sue said. "That's an amazing legacy to live up to."
"I hope I can," Harry said softly.
"I heard stories of Anbin and he was every bit as described." Flitwick sighed heavily. "He would see that as his greatest failure and regret. It was good that Diglin did that for you and your ancestor and his grandfather, may they all rest more easily now."
In a short time, both pots of chowder bubbled and burbled over the fire and the air was filled with that deep rich scent that spoke of ocean wind, of green aromatic herbs and pleasant salinity. After some simmering, Harry tasted from both pots, making sure to clean the spoon thoroughly in between. "It's ready," he said, nodding firmly.
Everyone served themselves a bowl and started to eat.
"Mmm, best crake chowder I've had outside of goblin places," Flitwick said, smacking his lips. "Delicious!"
"I've never had crake myself and was always dubious but I must agree, this is wonderful," Pomfrey praised.
"Mmm, this crake is different," Harry said, chewing thoughtfully. "More of a wild taste, like gamier?"
"Probably the quality of the local crake," Flitwick said. "Diglin may want some of this. How much are there of these in the mountains?"
"Loads," Hagrid said, slurping up his chowder. "In some of the tunnels, there's a carpet of them. Covering floor and wall and roof."
"Hmmm, I bet they would take the time to come out and collect them by hand like that," Flitwick mused. "Help keep the population in check while enjoying a local delicacy and flavor."
"I will send Gringotts a message care to Chef Diglin," Dumbledore said as he enjoyed a spoonful of chowder. "We can capture two crakes with one stone toss, literally. Help the local environment and earn a bit of coin all in one."
"How do you like it?" Harry asked.
"Love it," Parvati smiled. "It's a lot like crab but just different enough like you described."
"It's a little too much for me," Lavender said with an apologetic smile. "It's good but the meat is weird to me. I think I like regular crab better."
"Thank you for trying it," Harry smiled. "I'll never blame you for not liking something. I learned over the summer just because someone doesn't like it, doesn't mean it's bad sometimes."
Lavender smiled gratefully and hugged him, happily accepting a bowl of the crab chowder from Hermione. "Mmm, this is good for me," she said happily.
"Thanks for making it for us," Millicent said. "I'll admit I was bummed to not be able to have crake but this is super good and I don't feel like I'm missing out."
"I didn't feel like I was missing out," Ron said with a smile, making the others chuckle. "But yeah, this is great. Thank you!"
"You'd think you'd be happy to eat crakes since you don't like spiders," Neville teased. "Sort of like revenge, you know?"
"I think I don't like them enough to not want to do anything with them at all really," Ron laughed.
-0-
"Oh Mister Potter, good to see you," Sprout said when Harry and the rest of the Gryffindors arrived for Herbology class. "I was hoping to have a moment of your time. Do you mind helping me with something?"
"Of course," Harry said.
"The snakes in the greenhouses have been moving around a lot and I was wondering if you would find out why for me," she explained. "I want to make sure they're happy and not needing anything."
Harry followed her willingly after class commenced and Sprout got them started on their tasks. They returned shortly with Sprout looking happy and relieved. "What was wrong?" Lavender asked when Harry rejoined them.
"Oh nothing was wrong really," Harry smiled. "They were just moving about because they wanted a change in scenery and a change in hunting. Turns out there's different pests in each greenhouse so the snakes wanted to try different places. Plus one of them thought the first greenhouse was a bit too warm so switched one of the others. But they're happy, just keeping busy among themselves."
"That's adorable," Hermione smiled.
"They're snakes," Zacharias said scathingly.
"Just because they're snakes, doesn't mean they're not adorable," Parvati said.
"Yeah, what's your excuse for not being adorable?" Lavender asked in a not-so-innocent innocent tone.
Zacharias' flushed while the others snorted and giggled. "Must be nice being a teacher's pet," he said scornfully to Harry. "Getting all these extra points because you suck up to them."
"Professor Sprout didn't give me points," Harry said mildly. "And I earned my points from Professor Hagrid and Lupin."
The Hufflepuff boy grunted and stalked past, bumping Harry with his shoulder. He muttered things under his breath that were not pleasant to hear even if they were somewhat undistinguishable.
"What a prat," Hermione muttered.
"You don't know the half of it," Susan muttered back. "You lot don't have to live near him."
"Thank goodness," Parvati said, shooting Zacharias a look.
"Oh, they don't look happy," Lavender said, pointing.
Two smooth snakes had peeked their heads out from some planters on a shelf behind them and were glaring at Zacharias' retreating form with obvious displeasure. They hissed together, moving their heads back and forth as they did.
Harry's eyes widened and he leaned in, hurriedly hissing back at them. They three conversed for a few moments and the snakes bobbed their heads at Harry before slithering back into the planters.
"What's up?" Parvati asked, leaning in.
"They didn't like how he was talking to me and they said they're going to bother him in his room," Harry said weakly. "I begged them not to but they wouldn't listen, something about 'disrespecting their provider' and 'Empress' chosen' can't go unchallenged."
"That's amazing and I never wished to be a Parselmouth more than I have now," Parvati sighed.
"I understand the provider thing, you helped them find homes here," Hermione said. "What does 'Empress' chosen' mean?"
"I think they mean Blinky," Parvati said, pointing at Harry's gloves. "I think I've heard a basilisk's nickname is emperor or empress."
"Harry, please, tell them not to do that," Susan said urgently with Hannah nodding with large eyes. "I don't want them accidentally going into our room or going about the common room, there's already more than enough pet snakes."
Harry leaned down close to the racks and hissed again and the snakes reappeared, poking their heads out. They spoke some more, with the snakes looking reserved and hissing back. After a short time, the snakes nodded and stuck out their tails and Harry gratefully shook them. With some hissing that sounded suspiciously like giggling, they slithered off.
"What did you say?" Lavender asked eagerly.
"I made them a deal. I'll make some nice warm spots with the rock pocket warmers we made last year in each greenhouse and tell Professor Sprout about them and help warm them. In return they won't follow him back to the Hufflepuff common room and will spend their time harassing him in the greenhouses," Harry said with relief.
"Thank you," Hannah and Susan sighed, showing immense relief.
A few moments later, a very loud and shrill scream pierced the air and Zacharias was jumping up and down, beating at his clothes.
"What now, Mister Smith?" Sprout asked, hurrying over.
"A snake just crawled out of my robes!" he shouted. "I can feel them slithering all over me!"
"One of the dears probably just slithered past you on the table," Sprout said. "They're harmless."
"They bite!"
"Only if they are threatened or harassed," she said patiently. "I will say to you what I said last year, the snakes won't bite you without cause just like the Dementors will not suck your soul out without cause. More likely, they don't even want to bite you."
"Nothing wants to bite you," Susan said in sotto voce, making everyone else snort and suppress smiles and laughter.
Harry grinned and looked down, his smile growing even wider when a few snakes slithered past him on the ground with quills in their jaws and dragging rolls of parchment behind them. He hissed at them and they bobbed their heads at him and waggled their tails as they slithered away with giggly hissing.
-0-
Hagrid slung a pack over his shoulder and grabbed his crossbow, unworried by the frantic barking. He knew Fang's barks well and he took his time leaving his hut, stomping on the ground to settle his boots. "Don't drown the boy, Fang," he said mildly with a smile.
Harry rubbed his face clean. "I don't mind. Fang's nice and friendly." He laughed when the large boarhound leaned on him, nearly knocking him over.
"Thanks for letting me come too," Ron said shyly, petting Fang when the dog turned to him.
"Sure thing. I promised Harry to take him about the Forest on easier treks and I remembered you sayin' you wanted to be a Hunter, so let's get you some experience. Right, let's go shall we?" He led Harry and Ron deeper into the forest with Fang following. They soon passed the furthest point they went in for class and the trees became larger and older, the undergrowth thicker and denser in parts.
"Wasn't too early for you on a Saturday, was it?" Hagrid asked as they followed the narrow clear path deeper into the Forest.
"No, I'm usually awake by now, habit," Harry said.
"Was a little for me," Ron admitted. "But I didn't want to lose the opportunity and I can nap later."
"That's the spirit," Hagrid said approvingly.
"What are we doing today?" Harry asked.
"We're visitin' a few friends,'' Hagrid said. "They're havin' a spot of bother with somethin' muckin' about one of their usual home places and I said I'm come take a look."
"There's people living in the Forbidden Forest?" Ron asked.
"Sure are, loads of people," Hagrid said. "Lots of folk call the Forest home."
"Huh, I thought no one lived here, since it's the Forbidden Forest," Ron mused.
"Oh wait, uh, I see what you mean now," Hagrid said sheepishly. "Right, I mean, if you mean people like magicals or Muggles, then no, no people live here in the Forest. The Forbidden Forest is protected magical land and is reserved for magical beings and entities."
"That doesn't account for magicals?" Ron asked, confused.
"Well it does, but I don't think any magicals would want to live in the Forest proper. It's real wild here and dangerous if you don't know what you're doin'."
"Then who lives here?" Ron asked.
Before Hagrid could say anything, a large stomp was heard and soon it was repeated again and again. Harry and Ron looked around, startled, before drifting closer to Fang and Hagrid. Fang did not look worried however, and neither did Hagrid. Hagrid raised a hand. "Hail the camp! It's just Hagrid and Fang and a couple of students."
Harry and Ron looked in awe as figures came out from between the trees. They were tall and broad-shouldered above the waist, with human features and torso. Below the waist they had horse bodies, long powerful limbs and long tails. One carried a bow with a quiver on his back and the other held a long spear.
"Welcome Hagrid," one of the centaurs said. He looked down at Harry and Ron with curiosity. "And who accompanies you?"
"Harry Potter, the one with the black hair, and the other's Ron Weasley," Hagrid said proudly. "They're my students. Ron wants to be a Hunter and Harry's a real good cook and good person. Harry, Ron, meet Firenze and Ronan."
"Nice to meet you," Harry said brightly and offered his hand. He berated himself when the two centaurs looked at his hand with open astonishment. "I'm sorry, I always forget if handshaking is normal or nice when I meet new people."
"No, it is fine," Firenze said and he shook Harry's hand gravely. Ronan followed suit and Ron followed after shyly. "We are unused to meeting new magicals."
"Are you here to assist Hagrid?" Ronan asked.
"If we can," Harry said and Ron nodded.
"Very well," Firenze said, sharing a look with Ronan. "Come." They walked off and the quartet followed. The two centaurs spoke with Hagrid in low tones ahead of Harry and Ron.
"I didn't know centaurs were here," Ron said with wonder.
"Are they not common or around?" Harry asked.
"Not really, not in most places as you might guess," Ron said. He gulped a little. "I heard they're not terribly friendly."
"They look friendly with Hagrid," Harry observed. "He won't let anything happen to us, right Fang?" He smiled when Fang nodded comfortingly. The boys and the dog continued to follow until they reached a clearing in the Forest. They looked around in delight when they saw several structures with open walls dotted about. They were sturdy buildings but every one of them seemed to have half their walls that rolled up, revealing the interiors and opening them to the air. A large fire crackled in the center of the clearing and centaurs of all sizes, shapes, and colors roamed about.
When they came in, all the other centaurs stared at them with astonishment and a few with open hostility. Ronan spoke in a different language that calmed them somewhat. A few of the younger ones looked at them with open curiosity.
"Keep close," Hagrid said to the two boys in a low tone. "Don't go pokin' about." They were led to the other side of the clearing and there were some disturbances there, trees that had signs of damage along one side of the trunk and the ground was torn by something heavy with sharp points.
"This is the closest it has gotten," Firenze said, pointing with his spear. "We have seen signs of it in other parts of the Forest but it is coming closer."
"No one has seen what does it," Ronan added. "But sentries have heard it move at night, something long and heavy."
"Hmm," Hagrid hummed, poking about the tracks with his knife. "I don't recognize it off the top of my head. I agree with you though, something big and long and heavy though. Claws, obviously. Been gettin' closer?"
Firenze nodded. "With each passing night. Too close to the young and our home."
Hagrid nodded. "That's not ideal," he said to himself. He poked around the undergrowth some more, looking at the tracks and the damaged ground with a critical eye. "Ahh, here we go." He picked up some heavy scales connected to some skin. They were dark grey and mottled, the skin a dusky beige. "Hmm. Now what lives around here that has scales like this? I don't recall anythin'."
"Neither do we," Ronan said, looking at the scales with alarm.
"Must be low to the ground," Hagrid said, "to get its scales and skin caught and torn on the underbrush. Makes sense too with the damage to the trees all low too, with heavy claws."
"Sounds like a grundwyrm," Ron remarked softly to Harry.
"A ground worm?" Harry asked.
"No, a grundwyrm," Ron repeated. "It's like a pseudodragon." He flushed when he noticed the others looking at him. "Charlie mentioned it before. He told me a story of a grundwyrm outbreak in Romania and how they were breaking into the reserve."
"Say, I think you're right," Hagrid said brightly. "Let me see here." He pushed his way deeper into the undergrowth enthusiastically."
"What are these…grundwyrms?" Firenze asked.
"Charlie said they're related to dragons," Ron said, a little shy from the attention but his voice grew stronger. "They usually live in the ground but will come up if it's flooding and they like heat and can feel it from far away. They look like giant earthworms but more dragony."
"I think you got it," Hagrid said, crawling back out of the undergrowth. He held a large claw in his hand. "Dewclaw, used for grip and tearing. Must be a mountain one that came down to escape the rains and it's been creepin' close to get to your fire."
"We cannot put out the Heart Fire," Firenze said. "How do we prevent it from getting close? And is it a threat?"
"It eats meat and if it's desperate enough, it'll attack," Hagrid said baldly. "I'd like to return it to the mountains but if it's all the way down here already, won't be easy. The best thing to do maybe is to start another fire somewhere close and make it bigger, attract it that way. We can dampen the ground between here and the village and hopefully it'll go that way. I'll send a message to the Ministry and see if they want to try and take it back to the mountains or else we can Hunt it and take care of it that way."
He beamed at Ron. "What did Charlie do to get rid of them?"
"Uhm, well, a few of the dragons in the reserve decided to just eat them," Ron said sheepishly.
"Ah, shame we don't have any of those," Hagrid sighed soulfully. "Dragons I mean. In that case, let's do it how I think might work. Good job Ron." He patted the boy on the shoulder. "For that, you can help me figure out how to dampen the ground here."
"The river is not far," Ronan said. "I will instruct a few of the others to start a large fire at the adjoining clearing and keep it contained in the meantime."
"Sounds good. Harry, how about you stay here and work your other magic?" Hagrid winked.
"You know we don't like having magicals wield their magic around us like that," Ronan said severely when they made their preparations.
"Wasn't talkin' about that kind of magic," Hagrid said knowingly.
-0-
"Oh wow, you have a lot of herbs and plants drying here," Harry said admiringly.
He had not been too worried about being left alone in the centaur village. Fang had remained with him and Hagrid had assured him it would be alright. He and Ron and the majority of the older centaurs left to make their preparations, leaving a few of the older centaurs behind with the young and the oldest of them.
"We gather them to dry for medicines and food," a younger centaur said. She looked at him curiously, tucking a lock of chestnut-brown hair behind her ear.
"What do centaurs eat, may I ask? I don't really know a lot about your people but would very much like to," Harry said earnestly.
She blinked a little and a few others murmured softly. "We hunt and gather," she said at last. "We take the offerings of the Forest and help keep it healthy, never taking too much. We grow a few things here and there too."
"And do you cook everything together at the big fire?" he asked.
"That is the Heart Fire," an older centaur said. She made a gesture around the village. "It never goes out. It is our Village Hearth, to keep the village together, to keep us warm, to keep us safe. Members of the village can take some to their home hearths but our Heart Fire is never put out as long as we remain in the area. It is only put out when we go to one of our other campgrounds, and it is carried from one to the other."
"I like that," Harry said sincerely. "It's a part of your home that you take with you and connects you to the ones you had before and the ones you go to."
"Yes, that is it exactly," the younger centaur said excitedly. "You understand."
"Sort of. I never really had a home until I came to Hogwarts for the first time," Harry said honestly. "But recently, I've been really fortunate to find a home away from Hogwarts too. Somewhere I can call one anyways."
The centaurs murmured among themselves. "I am called Maida," the older female centaur said. "My daughter is called Rell. What is your name?"
"Harry Potter, nice to meet you," Harry said, offering his hand. Rell and Maida shared a look before shaking it firmly. "May I cook with the Heart Fire?"
"You cook?" Rell asked, surprised.
"I do and I'd love to learn about your cooking too if I may," Harry said eagerly.
-0-
"What is this?" Ronan asked, eyes wide from surprise. He, Hagrid, Ron, Firenze, and the other centaurs that left for the tasks had returned and he saw that a small crowd of his people were around the Heart Fire and Harry was in the middle. Appetizing scents filled the air as a very large cauldron bubbled over a small cooking fire. Harry was talking animatedly with the centaurs and Rell came rushing over.
"Father, taste!" She had a bowl in her hands and Ronan took it from her and sipped from it.
"This…this is quite good," he said, looking at the bowl with astonishment.
"Harry made it, with everything we have gathered," Rell said excitedly. "He taught us how to make it too!"
"From the things we have gathered?" Firenze asked, taking the bowl and sipping from it himself.
"Everything! The plants we have gathered, the fish we caught and prepared, even the rock salt we have found. And there's more! The mushrooms we gather? Harry says they are very valuable! He knows of people who would trade for them."
"Really?" The adult centaurs looked at one another. "Why?" Ronan asked.
"He said the goblin folk would find it as a delicacy. That they are similar to ones they enjoy."
"They would come here for them?" Ronan said, looking confused.
"They might," Hagrid said, smiling proudly. "Can't hurt to ask. Goblins will strike a hard bargain for things but if they want it and it's good, they will."
Ronan and the others looked at one another. "Perhaps this has some merit," Ronan said slowly.
Ron later joined Harry, sitting on a log and eating bowls of woodland soup, watching the other centaurs talking amongst themselves eagerly and with Hagrid. "You really make friends easy, huh?" Ron asked as he slurped the soup hungrily.
"With some people," Harry said. He smiled at a memory. "It's easier being nicer and cheerful to people, especially when they don't know you. Lavender taught me that."
Ron nodded thoughtfully. "That's fair." He hesitated. "So, uh, don't see you being chummy with Seamus or Malfoy really though."
"Well, with some people," Harry repeated with a shrug. "We're friendly now when we weren't though."
"Yeah, sorry again for not really getting it," Ron said sheepishly.
"I accept and like I said, we're friendly now and you've made an attempt at being so," Harry said. "They haven't really."
"That's true." Ron smiled. "I'm glad we're friends now."
"Me too," Harry smiled back.
-0-
"You two look like you had fun," Lavender smiled when Harry and Ron returned to the common room later.
"It was cool," Ron said enthusiastically. "We went into the Forbidden Forest and met centaurs!"
"There are centaurs in the Forest?" Lavender and Parvati exclaimed.
"That's so cool! I wish I went," Parvati said. "They're supposed to be really good with divination and stuff like that!"
"What did you guys do?" Hermione asked eagerly.
"Turns out they were having trouble with a grundwyrm so Professor Hagrid and I helped them with that," Ron said proudly.
"Ron figured out what it was first," Harry said. "That was cool."
Ron flushed but looked pleased. "It was something Charlie taught me and just shared it. Harry did his usual friendly thing and became friends with the whole village. Taught them a few cooking things and learned some too."
"Of course you did," Lavender smiled proudly.
"What do they eat normally?" Neville asked.
"They're hunters and gatherers mostly," Harry said. "Grow very little of their own vegetables and things but they do some. They fish and hunt game so lots of that kind of food. They do salads and stews mostly, add dried and smoked meat to greens and herbs. But it turns out there's a lot of these mushrooms in pockets in the Forest and they eat them but there's like loads of them. They're really close to ones that the goblins like and I brought some back to Professor Flitwick for him to take to Gringotts. Might be worth trading things for."
"Oh that's neat," Hermione said. "As long as they aren't taken advantage of, of course."
"Hagrid won't let that happen," Harry said firmly. "And I don't think Professor Flitwick would tolerate that either."
"That's good. Look at you being making friends and learning cooking things," Lavender smiled.
"Well I learned from you," Harry said. "Being nice and cheerful to new people." He coughed when she hugged him hard about the middle.
"Yeah he sure did make new friends with the centaurs. They were really unfriendly at first but became really friendly," Ron said. "Especially those girls."
"Those what now?" Parvati asked, perking up.
"Yeah, what girls?" Lavender asked, looking up at Harry.
"Oh uhm, Rell and a couple others were nice," Harry said, stammering. "They taught me a lot about how they dry plants and how they hunt."
"Mmhmm, and what else?" Lavender asked, smiling sweetly but the sweetness was false and the smile stopped below her eyes.
"Yeah what else?" Parvati leaned in and waggled her eyebrows. "And were they cute?"
"They were pretty cute," Ron said.
"Ron?" Harry hissed.
"Yeah?"
"I'm no longer glad we're friendly."
Ron opened his mouth to say something but then noticed how Lavender had a grip on Harry and her look while Parvati and Hermione looked deeply amused. "Oh uh, sorry," he said lamely.
-0-0-0-
odonnellzoo99 - And those questions will all be answered in time, eventually, through other chapters, maybe. I don't know. I'm pretty happy with how the year is turning out though even though I'm not even half way through. It's going to be long and meandering but hopefully you and the others will enjoy it. I really liked the climbing through the window. It was so silly and thought it would be funny.
poka - I'm fairly happy with how the foreshadowing will pan out. I'm looking forward to how people receive the chapter when it happens. Yeah, I know I've said I want this fic to feel more slice of life and comfortable and lower stakes, but it still needs highs and lows and address the main points of the setting I feel.
Arnie1701 - That would be interesting.
Arutha - Thank you so much. Glad you are enjoying it. The Dumbeldores have been interesting to write for and I'm pretty satisfied with their characterization, hope you continue to like them.
DOOOOOOM Lord of Waffles - Spoilers. You'll see some familiar faces as the chapters come. I thought about it for a while if I wanted to include them and decided to challenge myself and include them, with small changes as per the setting dictates. Hopefully the decision will have merit and feel good. I'm pretty pleased with how things are going so far and hopefully the readers will be as well.
alix33 - Hedwig kicking something open just because she can will never not amuse me.
Hands Off MY Wolfie - Parvati just wanted to try the window and convinced poor Lavender to try. There will be descriptions of other activties, especially a very big and involved one. Hedwig only rides in the cage when she knows she has to appear appropriate.
61394 - Permaybehaps I'm thinking.
Kaya - Thank you.
DarkRavie - Thank you.