Hermione spent the next four days reading and researching. The folding table in her tent had quickly turned into a make-shift bookshelf, stacks of books piling up on each corner of the surface with only a small clearing available for Hermione to spread out her tome of interest. Some of the books had been there since she had unpacked, field guides and Newt Scamander books served as the foundation for the growing stacks, while her recent purchases, as well as Ministry dockets provided by Padma, topped the towers of periodicals.
The books she had picked up in Hogsmeade on human transfiguration, metamorphmagus theory, and animal 'familiar' bonding were infinitely interesting. Hermione found herself pouring over those first, filling pages and pages of a fresh notebook with the information she gleaned from the texts. She could have spent the entire summer alone learning about the shapeshifters of the wizarding world, but had to tamper her enthusiasm by switching to the more pressing matter: the question not of what was in the woods, but rather… who could it be?
It had taken two days for Hermione to get her hands on the Ministry registries she had asked Padma to provide. An official request might have gotten her a more immediate response from the archivist, but would have opened the door to questions Hermione didn't want to answer, such as – why was she asking?
Padma hadn't questioned Hermione in the least bit. In fact, she hadn't even sent a reply in the affirmative.
Rather, Hermione's wards had gone off suddenly one morning.
It was an owl, stunned by encroaching on her tent space while attempting to deliver copies of Ministry documents that were tied neatly to the owl's leg: lists of werewolves, metamorphmagi, and registered animagi in the United Kingdom. When the bird was renervated it awoke in a panic; flapping its wings angrily and managing to peck Hermione's forehead and scratch her shoulder before taking off. Hermione hoped bitterly that a thestral would eat the damn bird before it could return to London.
The Ministry records were long and unorganized, but Hermione did her best to find anything relevant within them. She analyzed the data by hand, creating more focused lists by attributes of interest, and filtered out those who had died before the Second Wizarding War. Any records after 1995 would have to be treated with a degree of uncertainty for nobody had been worried about such mundane tasks as updating registration lists with a war going on.
She was functioning on auto-pilot: barely eating and barely sleeping. Hermione only managed to distract herself from her research long enough to maintain her campsite, gathering firewood and the like. At night when her brain was too strained from thinking, she would sit idly at the fireside: watching and waiting.
She had become completely distracted from her census business, the mysteries of the woods far too alluring to ignore. The wolf occupied most of her headspace, only disappearing for brief reprieves in which Hermione attempted to muddle through her recent encounters with the Divine arts: Luna's tessomancy session, Centaurs and their riddles, namely Pyronesia's prophecy. She had so many unanswered questions, some of which she hoped to get answers to soon.
It had been exactly eleven days since her strange encounter with the white centaur that had, apparently, sealed their fates. The words of prophecy were etched into the recesses of her mind, seeming to echo there whenever the hum of her thoughts dulled to an inaudible hum.
Hermione felt the constant urge to do something – whether it be about the wolf, the census, or the centaurs– at all moments, but the unknown was weighing her down, holding her in a stage of slow, suffocating paralysis.
She had always thought that waiting was the worst part of all things. The anticipation of an exam grade was once the worst type of waiting she had known, but with age and war, the dread of waiting was fueled by the times in which she waited for a battle to start or waited while someone died, unable to be saved. The waiting for answers to questions she sought was starting to feel a bit more like the waiting of war times, which was turning Hermione's mind into an anxious mess, one that not even occlumency could calm.
From her vantage point, she could see shades of sunset fading to darkness through gaps in the trees. The light was dimming in the Forest, the Moon-Gazer Clearing becoming a distinct beacon of light, possibly the only light reaching the forest floor, as dusk settled across the land.
It was time, Pyronesia would be coming soon.
Bushes on the other side of the Moon-Gazer Clearing rustled. Hermione put out the fire quickly, vanishing the smoke with a wave of her wand. She quickly moved to hide behind a pine tree, crouching down behind the wide trunk.
The rustling noises were getting louder, she chanced a look from around the trunk to find the source. It had been eleven days since she sought an audience with the centaurs, so Hermione was expecting to see Pyronesia break through the treeline. However, an image of the wolf flashed in her mind and she gulped, praying the centaur would be the only beast she encountered this evening.
The creature that broke through the trees was not white, but rather it had an iridescent sheen, all colors of the rainbow glinting with each movement of the beast. Hermione had to shield her eyes, lest they be burned by the radiant glow of the unicorn.
She tried summoning the Ministry-issued eye protection that she kept in her field kit before remembering that it too had been taken from her. Hermione cursed under her breath, summoning her Ministry identification badge instead and transfiguring it into a pair of shades. She shoved the glasses onto her nose before turning around, eyes searching for the magical beast.
It was still there, grazing on the long grass at the edge of the clearing. The sight was breathtaking and Hermione felt herself almost tearing up at the beauty of the beast before her. Hermione had never seen a real unicorn before. It was not so much the sight but the magical rarity that enhanced the experience; a moment she would never forget.
Her admirations were cut short by another rustling of leaves beside her, causing Hermione to jump and draw her wand in one jerky motion. A curse was on her lips, ready to defend from attack, but it wasn't needed. The sound was only Pyronesia, who had broken through the treeline with her own weapon drawn, an arrow pointed squarely at Hermione.
The witch and the centaur sighed when they made eye contact, their bodies both sagging in relief to see the other. Somehow it was comforting to know that she wasn't the only one so ill at ease in the woods. Hermione stowed her wand before bowing respectfully to the alabaster centaur.
"I see you've met Light," Pyronesia nodded to the unicorn as it trotted its way over to greet them.
"Light?" Hermione asked, motioning to the unicorn.
A hurried whisper echoed distantly in her mind. 'Light has come… and now I see!'
Pyronesia only nodded in response. She held an arrow tightly against her bow and eyed the perimeter of the clearing suspiciously. The centaur motioned with her weapon toward the smoking campfire and tent, "Are you alone?"
Hermione's spine prickled with the sudden feeling of being watched. Her own brown eyes roved the clearing, her eyes landing on the remaining smudged wolf prints at the edge of the fire pit. She hoped she was, but her instincts had her doubting.
"Yes." She asserted, though her voice wavered so she added, "I think so."
Her answer seemed to satisfy for Pyronesia relaxed her grip, returning the arrow to the quiver on her back.
The unicorn approached with a whinny, its mane sashaying with palpable magic. Hermione's heart rate accelerated; it was the most magnificent thing she had ever seen. It was her first time seeing a unicorn in person and the unexpected nature of the encounter had her positively vibrating with excitement. As the beast neared, Hermione noticed the protrusion of the underbelly near its hindquarters. She turned to Pyronesia, bewildered.
"She's pregnant." It was a statement, not a question.
"Yes," Pyronesia confirmed.
It was true that recreations and photographs of unicorns did not do the real thing justice for the sight of the pregnant unicorn was the most exhilarating thing Hermione had ever seen. Its coat was almost transparent, allowing a dark shadow to be seen where the calf was developing in utero. Hermione gasped when she saw what looked like a hoove pressing outward against the mares' abdomen.
"Incredible," Hermione breathed, forgetting all about the centaur beside her.
Pyronesia, not one to be forgotten, brought Hermione back to reality with a swift flick of her tail.
Pyronesia frowned, addressing Hermione. "Did you hear what I just said, human?"
Hermione shook her head innocently.
The centaur sighed, gathering patience. "I said, her baby is in incredible danger."
"This is what you need my help with?" Hermione asked, recalling the conversation the two had a week and a half ago.
Pyronesia nodded solemnly.
Hermione observed the unicorn as it turned away to graze under the moonlight, providing nutrients for her growing foal.
In a way, the three creatures in the Moon-Gazer Clearing – the witch, the unicorn, the centaur – weren't so different from one another. They shared common goals and desires: freedom, safety, and love. Of course Hermione wanted to help the unicorn in need.
Hermione was starting to wonder if all the things she had heard about the Forbidden Forest were actually true and if she were just too blind to see it. Another warning, more danger. After years of fighting darkness and living in a constant state of fight or flight, Hermione had to consider if that was really something she was ready to go through again.
If the stakes were high enough, did she really have a choice?
"What kind of danger?" The lioness asked quietly, almost fearing Pyronesia's response.
"The life or death kind," Pyronesia explained simply, looking over her shoulder.
The centaur was getting uneasy, her patience growing noticeably thin. "Are you going to help or not?"
Hermione crossed her arms in front of her chest, "How am I supposed to help if you keep talking in riddles, dancing around whatever it is that you want me to do? Maybe I'd be willing to help if I knew what was going on."
"Let me ask you, human," Pyronesia started defensively.
" Hermione," she corrected her proudly. Hopefully forcing the beast to speak more specifically would cause her to be more forthright.
Pyronesia sighed, "Let me ask you, Hermione , have you noticed anything strange since you've been in our wood?"
Hermione snorted, did the centaur have hours to spare? For she noticed quite a few.
Sensing this, Pyronesia added impatiently with a teasing lilt, "perhaps you've found fewer creatures than you were expecting, hm?"
Hermione furrowed her brow but nodded guardedly. She had noted the lack of creatures near the forest edges, but come to think of it she also had very few random encounters with creatures thus far, save for one white menace, which she did find to be strange. But she'd only been here for a few weeks, which was certainly not enough time to have any sense about what was going on in the Forest.
"It's the Heart of the Forest," Pyronesia blurted with frustration, "it's dying."
Hermione's chest tightened and she gasped, a hand coming to cover her heart as Pyronesia continued.
"The Heart was wounded by the violence and darkness brought here by The War of the Wizards." The centaur explained hurriedly. "The bloodshed, the dark magic… it's seeped into the roots of the trees, spreading like an infection amongst the forest network. After all these years, it's finally starting to affect the ecosystem.
"There was hope that mating rituals and spiritual cleansings would stop the Heart's necrosis, but they haven't been enough. The sickness is spreading, driving creatures away to find new homes, and causing the strongest of flora to wither. If we don't stop the spread, we could lose our home and the Dark Wood itself could cease to exist entirely."
"No," Hermione whispered, her eyes glistening with tears at the prospect. A wood as old as magic, whittling away to nothingness due to the violence and darkness of wizards was a tragedy. It broke her heart to think of the loss of habitat for thousands of creatures. "It can't be true."
"But it is," Pyronesia bit out.
For a moment, both were silent, the severity of the situation weighing heavily upon them both.
"This happened before," the centaur continued, "hundreds of years ago when the Great Rider ruled the herd. When Goblins feuded with Wizards, the darkness of the magic left here was strong enough to eliminate several species native to wood."
"So you know how to stop it then, right? Just like the Great Rider?" Hermione bit her lip, hanging on to Pyronesia's every word.
The centaur grimaced. "We centaurs are the guardians of the Forest; it is our home, our duty to protect it. Sometimes," she sighed, looking at her hooves in shame before whispering, "sometimes that involves sacrifice."
Sacrifice , the word shook Hermione. She had a sudden desire to reach for her wand. Pyronesia watched Light for a moment, her eyes shining with the threat of tears. Were the centaurs planning to sacrifice the unicorn?
"Absolutely not," Hermione turned to Pyronesia, pushing the sunglasses into her hair so she might make eye contact to impart her conviction appropriately. "As a member of the Ministry; I remind you that unicorns are an endangered and protected species. To sacrifice a pregnant mare… why it's just barbaric! I won't let you!"
The centaur bent to her, spittle flying her lips as she hissed condescendingly, "The Ministry has no say in what happens on the Centaurs' land. Sovereignty, autonomy. It is written by law and the stars. If it comes down to the life of the Forest, the Centaurs will protect it at any cost."
Hermione's face reddened. "Well if you've got it all figured out then why are you here? What do you need my help for?"
The centaur rolled her eyes. "Obviously I want to spare a life. That's why I'm here. We, the centaurs… the Forest… need your help."
Hermione's eyes darted between the unicorn and the centaur, her forehead wrinkling, "I don't understand." She stated obviously, her voice raising an octave, "what could I possibly do to stop this from happening, go to war with centaurs?"
Her stomach twisted, she couldn't… she wouldn't. There had been enough fighting, enough violence to last a lifetime. The Ministry had made such progress with the centaurs over the last decade, interfering now could put all that work in jeopardy. The centaurs were known for drawing divides and crossing them, especially in their territory, could mean certain death.
She wanted to help Light and Pyronesia but at what cost? Was all of this more important than her promotion? Well, she wasn't so sure. The life force of the Forest was certainly important, but did that mean beasts had to bend their free will to its whim? That didn't seem right either. Perhaps there was another way.
Pyronesia cackled from beside her, which deepened Hermione's frown. She didn't see what could possibly be so funny about this.
"No, God's no ." Pyronesia shook her head, muttering something that sounded like 'foolish humans'. "I want you to help me save Light's foal, to stop the sacrifice from happening."
"The foal?" Hermione questioned, feeling equally horrified, "the herd plans on sacrificing her baby?"
"The ritual will transfer the life force from the fetus to the wood. Light would bleed the baby out, effectively miscarrying." Pyronesia kicked at a rock with her hoove, disgust pervading her tone. "The remains would be offered to the Dark Wood in hopes of replenishing the Heart of the Forest."
"And Light? What happens to her?"
"She'll be free from harm, able to spend her days grieving her foal. As you know, unicorns are only capable of producing one offspring." A single tear slid from her eye, leaving a path down Pyronesia's white cheek. "It's a pain I'd wish on no one."
Hermione patted the centaur's arm awkwardly as the beast let out a restrained sob.
Pyronesia continued, words falling out between sniffles and tears. "That's why I have come to you on this day, the day to celebrate the Mother, to ask for your help."
Hermione's heart twisted into a knot, was it really Mother's Day? Had she really not released the significance of the day? The centaur made eye contact with the witch, silent understanding passing between them. Tears brimmed her lashes, but she blinked them away before they could fall. Her emotions could wait until later, more important matters were being decided right now.
"Can't she stay here, in the Clearing?" Hermione asked, her mind working toward a solution to spare the unicorn. "It's a decided neutral zone for all beings; surely the centaurs would respect that?"
Light had stopped grazing as both she and Pyronesia's heads snapped in the direction of a low rumbling in the distance.
"There's no time to explain; they're coming," Pyronesia whispered hurriedly. "Please, Hermione, help us ."
There was no time to think, no time to overanalyze or consider all the possible angles. She had to think and decide now, though it was an easy decision that barely required any thought really. For when it came to saving a life or standing up for someone or something unable to stand up for itself, there was nothing that Hermione Granger wouldn't do.
"Yes, of course, I'll help."
Pyronesia sighed in relief, but her reprieve was short-lived, as she whispered raggedly with a desperate anxiousness. "The herd approaches, we must hide her, hide ourselves. Firenze and the rest… they must never know of our meeting." She glanced around the trees lining the Moon-Gazer Clearing suspiciously, "We have to move quickly… it's not safe here."
Hermione shook her head, jogging her brain so she might come up with a plan. She dashed into her tent, donning her cloak and grabbing her leather bag. When she returned, she beckoned the two equines into the cover of leaves, away from the light the Moon-Gazer Clearing afforded.
"I know just what to do," Hermione urged them, flicking her wand so a wool blanket covered Light's back. Hopefully, it would be able to dull some of her brilliance, allowing them to remain inconspicuous and unseen.
She made eye contact with Pyronesia, who gave Hermione an expectant look. Hermione winced, almost apologetically.
"Mind if I…" she rubbed the back of her arm, unsure of how to broach such a sensitive topic with the centaur, but knew it ultimately needed to be done. She shut her eyes tightly and mustered her courage, "would you, uh, mind transporting me? I'm afraid that I'll slow us down."
Pyronesia huffed, clearly not pleased with the request, but bent her knee anyway without rebuke. Hermione ungracefully boarded the centaur, placing her hands unsurely at Pyronesia's waist to retain balance when the beast stood at her full height.
A gust of wind covered the sound of their departure, the rustling of the forest foliage drowning out the clashing of hooves that carried them north. A wispy, blue sea otter swam out before them, carrying with it a desperate cry for help.
Luna appeared at the waters split, just as Hermione's patronus had instructed. The blonde wore black, hooded robes and her infamous pair of half blue, half pink spectrespecs. Her smile dazzled them as Hermione, Pyronesia, and Light stepped out of the wood and approached the water. Hermione slid from Pyronesia's back, the mud sucking up her feet and stabilizing her landing. The trio quickly splashed their way across the creek, each panting at the effort of their escape through the wood.
The expectant mother bowed awkwardly to the group, her womb limiting her movements slightly. Hermione rushed forward, hugging her friend.
"Luna! Thank you so much for coming. We've got a bit of a situation here," she threw a glance at Pyronesia who was ushering Light to hide amongst the foliage. A rumble hummed in the distance and the wind blew, rustling the leaves of the trees, knocking loose Earth from the cliff face. Hermione flinched when the dirt hit the water.
Pyronesia returned to them, regarding the pregnant professor. "There's no time for discussion, if we stay here the unicorn foal dies."
"Luna," Hermione implored with a pleading look, "please, take us to the barn. We'll explain everything there."
Luna was smarter than most gave her credit for, understanding many things that others couldn't fathom or accept. It made her vulnerable, a bit naive, but when it came to questing, her agile ability to quickly pick up on plans and adapt to various scenarios was an asset.
She gave a relaxed smile, her hand resting atop her swollen stomach. "It sounds like we must hurry then, but I'm afraid I might slow us down." The blonde admitted, giving Pyronesia a side glance.
The centaur kneeled to the professor, allowing her to climb — with assistance, "Thanks, Hermione." — onto her strong back. The sight made Hermione's heart swell with pride. Centaurs and humans, working together. It was enough to make her want to cry.
"There's no time, human. Just try to keep up!" Pyronesia called to Hermione from down the winding path that headed toward the castle.
Hermione must have gotten lost in her thoughts again at a time that demanded focus. She scolded herself as she rushed on after the group, protecting the unicorn from the rear. Her sunglasses remained in place, obscuring the shadows of the Forest; Hermione would have to keep her ears open for any sounds of approaching centaurs or other creatures who may mean them harm.
The group made it to the one-way without incident, much to their collective relief. Aside from the calm aura emanating from the ethereal mother riding atop Pyronesia, the tension among them was palpable, with no one daring to speak while under the shade of the Dark Wood. Pyronesia halted at the boundary of the wards, turning her head so Luna could provide further instruction.
"Hold on, Hermione," Luna instructed, reaching her hand out so Hermione could grasp it. Once the witches were touching, the blonde nodded to the centaur. "Proceed, if you will, please."
Pyronesia stepped forward, Hermione and Light stepping in cadence with her. A warming sensation flooded Hermione's nerves and she relaxed as the group successfully crossed onto Hogwarts grounds.
Hermione quirked an eyebrow as she gazed up at Luna. "I thought the ward was a one-way?"
"It is for most," Luna admitted, squeezing Hermione's hand as Pyronesia kneeled down to allow the professor to slide off. "The staff is keyed for admittance and, on certain days, the castle will give permissions for students to come back through."
"But-," Hermione interjected, combing through her knowledge of protective wards, "nobody was touching Light when she passed through the boundary."
Luna gave the unicorn a fond smile, looking much like her younger self in her garish sunglasses, save for her protruding abdomen. "Creatures have free mobility through the ward." The Professor explained, waddling toward the fencing around the school's paddock.
Hermione's eyebrows raised in surprise, it sounded like quite the security risk. As if sensing her thoughts, Luna amended. "But their permissive only extends to the barn, there's a series of wards with a smaller boundary before the grounds were expanded in recent years-"
"So, the other centaurs could come here and take Light?" Pyronesia questioned the professor with concern.
"In theory," Luna hummed as she led the group to the barn. "but I suppose Firenze would know better than to encroach upon the land governed by the Headmistress. I heard she transfigured a horse into a broomstick once; I imagine no centaur would appreciate such a fate."
Light neighed in agreement, Pyronesia was appraising the witches with a harsh stare.
"Don't worry, Pyronesia, we can set up some more wards around the barn," Hermione assured her, hoping to ease some of the tension that permeated amongst them.
"That's an excellent idea, Hermione." Luna agreed, adding, "I'll need to put up some light deflection wards anyway in case students come wandering up to her stall without proper eye protection."
Pyronesia sidled alongside Light, bowing her head to whisper something to the luminescent beast. While they were occupied, Luna began her own whispers so the witches were not overheard by their creature entourage.
"Do I want to know what kind of adventure you've got yourself into?" Luna asked with a giggle.
"I'm not sure if I understand what's happening enough to explain it to you," Hermione admitted with a grimace.
Luna hummed agreeably, watching the centaur and the unicorn in their non-verbal conversation.
"It seems strange," she mused after a moment, her hand absentmindedly resting against her middle, "last I heard was that unicorns had abandoned the forest. So where did Light come from and where is her mate?"
Hermione shook her head lamely, unable to answer her friends' valid questions; questions that, perhaps, Hermione should have been asking herself.
"It's sad," Luna whispered, the sound of held-back tears betraying the normal tranquility of her voice before she explained, "unicorns usually mate for life. Something terrible must have happened to the father for him to leave her alone to carry their foal."
"I don't know. Pyronesia said Light and her baby were in danger, and that the herd wanted to use the foal to appease the wood. Maybe its father has something to do with that." Hermione suggested, her mind filling with ideas of what terrible thing could have happened to Light's mate.
With the many magical properties of unicorns, they were a highly sought-after creature by poachers, wandmakers, and potioneers alike. The Ministry had numerous regulations in place to protect the creatures, but that didn't stop wizards from causing them harm, or hunting them down and taking what the creatures could give for themselves. A sinister feeling settled at her core as she imagined a dark wizard drinking unicorn blood, inciting the initialization of a cursed life in the Forbidden Forest.
"Hopefully the wolves didn't get to him," Luna added nonchalantly.
Hermione froze, narrowed her eyes, and scowled at her friend for a moment. Luna met Hermione's hard gaze, but her expression remained calm and neutral. The blonde quirked an eyebrow at the brunette when her harsh stare did not pass, inviting the conversation to continue.
"I'm sorry," Hermione shook her face free of the harsh expression, "did you say wolves?"
"I've been hearing them howl at night for years now," Luna admitted. "I think I even saw them once when I was training the thestrals to saddle."
Hermione gulped, "These wolves… What did they look like?"
"Well, it was dark out so I didn't get a good look at them, but one was brown and the other black."
"What about a white one?" Hermione implored. If there was anyone who might have insight into strange creatures, it was Luna; hopefully, she had some answers.
"A white wolf in the Forbidden Forest?" Luna smiled, "No, I imagine a white wolf would live somewhere that would provide more camouflage than that."
Hermione narrowed her eyes, questioning her sanity for a moment. No, she wasn't imagining things. Everything that happened to her was real.
"You're wrong," Hermione spat with more emotion than she meant to. Luna practically recoiled, which made Hermione feel guilty, but her emotions had bubbled up her throat, a pot boiling over. "There is a white wolf in the woods and he is a damn menace."
Luna looked concerned and rightfully so as Hermione was practically hyperventilating, her anger flaring at the wrong place at the wrong time. The blonde placed a soothing hand on Hermione's forearm.
"I never said I didn't believe you, Hermione. Is everything all right?"
Hermione opened her mouth to apologize, but instead just shook her head 'yes', choking down the emotions that were making her eyes prick with the threat of tears. Luna eyed Hermione warily but didn't press the matter further, allowing the subject to drop and turning her attention back to the four-legged beasts that had brought them here.
The centaur and the unicorn seemed to be done communicating. Light padded toward a bale of hay at the back of the barn, munching happily on the feed as the centaur rejoined the witches. Pyronesia turned to Hermione, her brows falling into a hard line. "You're sure Light will be safe here?"
Hermione and Luna shared a glance and Luna nodded in confirmation. "If there's any place that's safe in the whole world, it's Hogwarts."
Pyronesia snorted in obvious disagreement but didn't push the issue further. The centaur glanced over her shoulder, toward the Forbidden Forest behind them. A gust of wind blew, causing the visible trees to sway in response. "It will do for now. Let us hurry, human before my absence is further noted by the herd."
Hermione turned to Luna, clutching her hands seriously while staring at the center of Luna's spectrespecs, where she assumed pupils were beneath them. "If anything happens or if you need anything – and I mean anything – send a patronus at once."
"I will need assistance with the delivery once it's time," Luna's smile was wide with excitement, "Is that something you would be interested in helping with?"
Hermione's smile stretched to match Luna's; creature enthusiasts were lucky to even see a foal in the wild, let alone assist in bringing them into the world. The opportunity was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, perhaps even a once-in-many-lifetimes sort of occurrence. Hermione wrapped her arms around her friend the best she could, the Longbottom-Lovegood twins between them preventing her from fully embracing the former Ravenclaw. When they separated, Hermione regarded her seriously. "Thank you, Luna. For your help and for being so understanding."
"No thanks needed," Luna rubbed Hermione's arm, "sometimes we're better off being agreeable without asking too many questions."
Hermione blinked several times, toying with those words in her mind before the swish of a familiar tail was at her side, pulling her from contemplation. "It's time to go," Pyronesia instructed harshly, turning to exit the barn.
All serious again, Hermione regarded Luna with intention. "Anything you need," she reminded the blonde, "patronus."
Luna nodded, levitating a leather rope from the opposite barn wall. The rope twisted with flicks of Luna's wand, morphing into a headcollar rope that fit itself onto the unicorn's head. She reached into the pocket of her robes and pulled out some biscuits and a half-eaten apple. Light was agreeable to the headgear, happily taking a biscuit from Luna's outstretched palm before returning greedily for the apple remnants.
Hermione backed away slowly, cautiously waiting for Luna to successfully bring the unicorn to the stall, ready to assist if needed. Of course, it was doubtful that the Care of Magical Creatures Professor would need assistance from a low-ranking Ministry employee, but years of war taught her to never leave a friend unattended. Whether it be from a beast or foe, Hermione would always look out for the ones she loved.
Luna slid the metal gate enclosing the stall shut, drawing her wand to begin setting the wards. Hermione moved to the entrance to the barn, where Pyronesia stood impatiently waiting. The white centaur took a strong sniff of gusting wind, her exposed eye searching the curtain of woods outside the barn, her tail still from its usual swishing.
"What is it?" Hermione whispered, noting the centaurs' continually tense demeanor.
"I don't like being outside the woods," Pyronesia admitted dismissively, "too many humans outside of its bounds."
"But there's only two of us here," Hermione countered defensively.
Pyronesia snorted, "Exactly. That's one more than I'm used to dealing with and more than enough for me."
Hermione crossed her arms over her chest, her mood soured by the centaur's attitude toward humans when humans were currently the ones sticking their necks out for something that they didn't even understand; all to help the centaur that had pleaded desperately with her.
Luna approached then to say goodbye, bowing politely to the centaur and giving Hermione one last squeeze.
"I'll see you soon, for the babies shower," Hermione promised.
"I can't wait," Luna smiled eagerly, her face falling to concern as she broke their embrace. "Oh, and Hermione? Try thinking some positive thoughts in the meantime, you've got quite the nasty wrackspurt infestation going on. You wouldn't want your mind being clouded while staying in the Forest; there are dangers in the wood."
Hermione tilted her head to the side — she had been rather worried lately and her mind had been easily distracted. With everything going on, she hadn't recited her gratitude list in the while. Maybe she did have a wrackspurt infestation. The thought made Hermione's skin crawl, she rubbed at her ears for good measure.
"I'll do my best," Hermione promised, turning to find the centaur halfway to the exit point already, leaving Luna with a small wave before jogging along after Pyronesia.
She caught up to Pyronesia just as they exited Hogwarts' wards, the wave of cool that washed over them caused Hermione to shiver. They carried on in silence, the centaur visibly relaxing as they journeyed deeper into the wood. Hermione relaxed as well when the last rays of light faded from the forest canopy, signifying the beginning of the night, the beginning of her welcome period on centaur land.
Hermione's mind wandered as the pair followed the water that ran from the mountains, through the Forbidden Forest, before draining into the Black Lake. She kept glancing up at Pyronesia hesitantly, trying to find her Gryffindor courage to demand some answers from the beast. The white centaur halted, giving a small whinny to signify her annoyance.
"What?" The centaur demanded, the first traces of moonlight causing her alabaster fur to glow incandescently; she seemed magical… mighty.
"Hm?" Had Hermione said something?
"Ask." The beast insisted forcefully.
"What? Oh, it's nothing—"
"You've been preventing yourself from asking for minutes. Any more time spent opening and closing your mouth might have one thinking you are a fish." Pyronesia chuckled, hitting Hermione's shoulder playfully with her tail.
"Fine, fine. I didn't want to say anything because it's not very polite, but… Can I ask?" Hermione began, motioning at the black eye patch covering the beasts' right eye. "What happened to your eye?"
Pyronesia slowed, twisting an arrow between her fingers as a distant look came upon her exposed eye. She gripped the wood tightly, stopping at the water's edge. "I was attacked by a wizard."
Hermione closed her eyes tightly, it was as she feared; a human had brought her such pain, such lasting deficit. It was no wonder Pyronesia wasn't fond of humans. It must have taken a lot for the centaur to seek Hermione's help. It wasn't her place to ask, but Hermione's intrigue was too strong, the words falling out of her mouth before she could stop them.
"How did it happen? Was it during the war?"
"No, after."
Hermione gave her a puzzled look.
Pyronesia rolled her eyes, apparently tired of retelling the tale.
"He was younger then," she explained defensively, "and scared."
Pyronesia gave a bitter laugh, staring at her own reflection in the lightly trickling stream they walked along. "I, too, was just a foal that didn't know better than to approach a wizard. I spooked him and he attacked me."
"That's horrible! Obviously, the healers weren't able to do anything for you?"
Pyronesia shook her head, her eyes narrowing and her lips pursing. "No, it was forbidden. The Forest wanted me to be without an eye."
"But you were hurt, you deserved proper medical care!" Hermione cried, angry at the negligence of the centaurs. The eye might have been saved with a quick and derisive countercurse, but as time went on there was less and less that could be done. By now, there was likely no hope left in saving it.
"Some things are bigger than our own wants and needs, human."
Hermione pondered her words, hoping the beast would elaborate but no such explanation came. After a beat, Hermione finally asked, "what happened to him?"
Pyronesia scoffed. "Nothing."
Hermione was outraged. "Nothing!? The Centaurs didn't seek retribution for a wizard attacking one of their own?"
"It wasn't for the centaurs to decide. The Dark Wood has the final say in justice under her leaves. She chose amnesty for him, so amnesty he has received." Pyronesia kicked a pebble with her hoove, sending it splashing into the stream.
Hermione let out a breath, changing the subject as she sensed Pyronesia's disgruntlement, though the beast seemed much resigned. It must have been something that she came to terms with. If only some could be so accepting as to the way of things.
"You talk about the Forbidden Forest like it is some sentient being," Hermione mentioned.
"And would that be so strange?" Pyronesia scoffed, taking offense to Hermione's comment though she meant none. "So unbelievable if she were?"
"Well, no," Hermione admitted. She was very open to the possibilities of magic as she had seen the impossible defied time and time again since she discovered the wizarding world. "I just have never heard of such a thing. In all my years at Hogwarts, it was never mentioned once."
Pyronesia laughed bitterly, "So since your schooling never taught you, it's unbelievable?"
Hermione was becoming impatient. Pyronesia kept twisting her words, misconstruing her meanings. For as confused as the centaur made her, it seemed she was having a similar effect on the beast. Her frustration had Hermione forgetting her manners, allowing her emotions to control her tongue. "No, it's not unbelievable. I just find it hard to believe that my school, which butts up to the forest, wouldn't have mentioned that the stupid woods itself was a sentient being not to be played with."
"Watch your tone," the Centaur admonished, "Your lot has never sought to understand the wood and those who dwell in it, always leading with prejudice and misunderstanding. Plus, it won't do to speak ill of the dying."
Hermione stared at her shoes, ashamed, as she walked in silence. After a moment she asked, "Is there really nothing else we can do?"
"Well, there is one way… but the centaurs gave up on it a few years ago."
Another possibility held promise, another possibility gave hope. "Tell me, what is it?"
"It's silly, a thing of legends really. A story told to foals to keep them from getting too scared at night, but scary enough to keep the young males contained within the being barrier."
"Legends?" Hermione asked, glancing warily at the centaur, who slowed them as they came to the rivers split.
Hermione held legends in the same regard as divination and prophecy: they were good for a small amount of entertainment value, nothing more. They certainly didn't hold a modicum of truth.
"The Hero of the Wood." Pyronesia watched Hermione with scrutiny as if expecting some kind of reaction to her words. Hermione waited with bated breath, hoping her silence would encourage the centaur to elaborate.
Pyronesia sighed, rolling her eyes at Hermione. "Honestly, they must teach you nothing of legends in that bloody castle." She muttered, before enunciating each word with annoyance. "The… hero… of the… wood."
Hermione shook her head when Pyronesia gave her an expectant look. The Centaur gave a dramatic sigh, muttering to herself how a witch could live next to the wood for years while at school but not know a thing about the rich history of the forest beside her for all that time. Hermione felt so wholly uninformed, her hands itched for a book, for the security of being able to find answers for herself. The information she received from others, especially a cryptic centaur, was not the most reliable.
"Fine," Pyronesia acquiesced, settling down at the river's split and filling a canteen from the trickling stream.
Hermione followed suit by sitting against a tree, settling into a nook between the roots. Pyronesia kneeled before her, the split of the water perfectly blocked by her black braids that had been knotted atop her head. Hermione made unrelenting eye contact, her lips pursed and her eyebrows tight. Her adrenaline from earlier was crashing, she hugged her knees to her chest for some added comfort and security. She wanted nothing more than to go back to camp and straight to bed. But first, it appeared it was time for a story.
"But I can only tell you the story the way I heard it," Pyronesia warned her first. "There are things we as Centaurs instinctively know that humans must search for. Truths are universal and known to us, but humans… you have to just believe."
Hermione nodded, her eyes wide and her mind cleared, listening only to the words the centaur said.
"He's a man not quite living, not quite dead. A physical manifestation of her powerful grace. He does the bidding of the Forest: the balancer of scales, protector of the weak and fallen." She explained, the cadence of her speech increasing as she told the legendary tale. Hermione listened at rapt attention, clinging to the centaur's every word. She settled her chin atop her knees before her mind was taken away, back to a more primitive time, many centuries ago, as Pyronesia told her about the origins of the forest and her champion, The Hero of the Wood.