chapter 26
As Hermione held tightly to Draco's unconscious body, and the Centaur beneath them pounded through the Forest under a sea of blue moon beams, she tried to recall everything she knew about Centaurs. She remembered they viewed being ridden as servitude, and so condoned it. She knew they didn't meddle in the affairs of wizards. She knew they hated wands, and wizarding law. Her head was lulling with the negatives, and it was over whelming. It hadn't occurred to her until just now that she may be being led straight to the Death Eaters. Idiot girl! She screamed at herself internally. It crossed her mind to jump off the Centaurs back with Draco, but she didn't think she would be able to outrun the Centaurs, and especially not carrying Draco's dead weight.
"We are very close," The centaur whose back she was on said. She could make out a faint clearing just beyond where they were, with moon beams shining down to illuminate a thick, tall grass. In the clearing were more Centaurs, standing tall and stately. It made Hermione skin prickle to see them there, ready to cast whatever judgment down on them.
As they entered the field, Hermione felt every moon-lit face on her and Draco. The Centaurs in front of them seemed sentient and looming, with some holding bows and arrows.
"I do not believe they are from the Castle, Volan." The Centaur holding them said, and a dappled white Centaur inclined his head.
"What is wrong with the boy?" The one called Volan asked.
"One of the beasts hit his head on a branch, knocking him unconscious." He answered.
"You may get down now, girl." He cocked his head to address Hermione. She started to dismount, and almost dropped Draco in the process.
"Why did you save us?" Hermione stammered as she lay Draco down gently in the tall grass. She still had his wand in her pocket.
"What is your name?" A female Centaur asked, walking closer to them.
Hermione hesitated to answer. Should she lie? If Voldemort knew she was out here it could mean her death.
"Do not try to conceal your identity," Volan said, crossing his arms. Hermione looked up at him and noticed that The Centaurs behind him were not watching them, but had their faces turned towards the sky, no doubt star gazing.
"Hermione Granger," She answered. "This is...this is Draco Malfoy."
Suddenly, a familiar face peered at her from the group that was star gazing.
"Firenze!" Hermione almost shouted, relief flooding her entire body.
"Hello," he said calmly. "It is good to see you. Volan, this is the sign that was foretold to us."
"Sign?" she asked, sounding more stupid than she meant.
"Neptune had entered Capricorn. Saturn and Marcs conjunct in Leo. Jupiter has entered Cancer." The Female Centaur answered solemnly, raising one hand towards the sky.
"Er..I don't know what that means." Hermione said, puzzled. The night sky was beautiful, of course, lit up with a thousand stars and a huge half-moon. But it meant very little to her.
Firenze had walked up to stand very close to Hermione, taller than she had remembered, and she noticed a network of angry scars down his sides and his back.
"Excuse us. We do not mean to confuse you so. This is Bremelle," He gestured towards the Centaur that had carried them there. "This Cepheus," He gestured now to the female Centaur. "This is Ferox, Arothorn, Parol, and Corvus." He gestured in turn to the star gazing Centaurs in the back of the clearing.
"The planets have been muddy, the sky's been cloudy and a thick fog taking away our ability to star gaze. It has been so long since we could properly, we were being driven to desolation." Bremelle said. Hermione's mind went to the hoard of Dementors living at Hogwarts. Of course, they would be dampening the weather so the Centaurs couldn't stargaze. "During the waning moon last month, the skies became merciful, and returned to us our vision. We saw a great many things, a change in the planetary pathway. Forces coming together, and forces being torn apart. Power shifting hands, and then shifting again. The death of many, the freedom of many. A small drop of water changing to coarse of an entire river."
"We saw that it would be starting here, in the Forest. We fore saw a disturbance in the routine of the Forest, and a great many waves expending from that. You are in danger, here. Why have you come?" Cepheus asked. Taking a step towards them.
"I am looking for something that was lost here, during the Battle that took place at the Castle. I need to get it." Hermione answered, still absorbing what they were telling her.
"And what is it you seek?" Volan asked. At this, Hermione blanched again. If they knew of its existence, would they want to keep it for themselves?
"We do not align ourselves with the filth that over runs the Castle," The one called Forex said from his position star gazing. "I can see she worries about that."
"They have caused a great many tragedies, and we have lost half our herd to them. They wish to cage us, or exterminate us, or use us for their own agenda. We take no part." Bremelle added in.
"We wish to see them ran off; we wish to see balance restored." Cepheus joined.
"When Harry Potter was last in the Forest...he dropped at stone. A black stone, about the size of a rock. Square cut." Hermione answered, body aches starting to set in as her nervous system settled down from the surge of Adrenalin she got when the Acromantula attacked. She could feel the gouge on her shin making itself known, and a soreness around her waist where she had been squeezed. Her arms ached from when she had tried to use all her strength to keep her from falling out of the tall pine she had been on when she got her wand back.
All the Centaurs faces were on her now, even the ones who had previously been star gazing.
"Harry Potter?" Firenze asked, voice sounding sad.
"Yes. He dropped this stone and I need it." She answered back, her tone as solemn as his.
"What is the significance of this stone?" Volan asked, studying her face intently.
"It's...erm, it's the Resurrection Stone." She said, taking a deep breath. The Centaurs didn't react at first, but she saw them exchanging meaningful looks.
"It is not safe to deal in death and the veil to the other side. Why do you need this Resurrection Stone? Death is sacred and should be given due respect." The one named Arothorn said, regarding Hermione carefully.
"I believe the only way to stop You-Know-Who is if...is if Harry is back. And I need the stone to do that." She replied honestly, the hopeless feeling slowly sinking back into her.
"I know of this Stone," Volan Said. "It does not bring back a true life. It only calls forth the memory. It will not do what you are planning on it to do."
"Not alone it won't. But if you put it with the Elder Wand- The wand you-know-who is probably currently using- and the Cloak I have right here, it would bring him back." She said, listening to how mad and unstable her own words sounded.
"Volan, this is the sign. This is the beginning that will set into motion the vast changes the universe has told us of in its heralding. We must heed this." Firenze said, voice confident as he regarded the rest of the Herd.
"Her plan leads her to certain death." Cepheus said, matter-of-factly, staring Firenze down with intense green eyes.
"We must not ignore what has been shown to us," Bremelle answered back, now looking up to the night sky.
"If you plan to find this stone, will you resurrect more than just Harry Potter?" Arathorn asked.
"No. I don't want to play around with Death. I do take it seriously. But I see no other way to make things right." Hermione said sincerely. She had toyed with the idea that if all went well, bring back all the Order members and students that had perished, but she knew in her heart of hearts how wrong that would be. She was no benevolent God, here to mess up the balance of the Universe. She would do this task at hand and let the rest of the world, and life, follow its own natural course.
"I see honesty and truth in this girl," Bremelle said, leaning his head down to peer into Hermione's eyes.
"I do not like this talk of reversing death," Forex said, crossing his arms over his bare chest. "But I see a way for balance through this."
"We will help you get the stone. We do not wish to meddle in other's affairs, but we will continue to be hunted if we do not. I believe the skies finally returned our vision to us as a beckoning to help."
"We know who holds the stone," Cepheus told Hermione, voice low. "But it may be hard to wrench it from their possession."