So the only Ron birthday that is discussed in the series is pretty much a bad one, so there will be a sweet little Romione missing moment in here. He had to have had a few decent birthdays at Hogwarts lol.
Chapter 148: Stars And Cakes
"I'll bet you wish you hadn't given up Divination now, don't you, Hermione?" asked Parvati, smirking.
It was breakfast time, two days after the sacking of Professor Trelawney, and Parvati was curling her eyelashes around her wand and examining the effect in the back of her spoon, trying to make them appear longer. We were to have our first lesson with Firenze that morning.
"Not really," said Hermione indifferently, who was reading the Daily Prophet. "I've never really liked horses."
"Really, Mione?" I said, getting onto her. I couldn't believe that she didn't know that it was an insult to call a centaur a horse.
"What?" said Hermione.
"He's not a horse, he's a centaur!" said Lavender, sounding shocked and basically telling her what I was going to say.
"A gorgeous centaur." sighed Parvati. I scrunched up my nose. Pretty sure a human eyeing up a centaur was very much frowned upon.
"Either way, he's still got four legs," said Hermione, ignorantly. "Anyway, I thought you two were all upset that Trelawney had gone?"
"We are!" Lavender said. "We went up to her office to see her; we took her some daffodils -not the honking ones that Sprout's got, nice ones."
"How is she?" asked Harry.
"Not very good, poor thing," said Lavender sympathetically. "She was crying and saying she'd rather leave the castle for ever than stay here where Umbridge is, and I don't blame her, Umbridge was horrible to her, wasn't she?"
"I've got a feeling Umbridge has only just started being horrible," said Hermione darkly.
"Impossible," I said, piling bacon and eggs onto my plate. "She can't get any worse than she's been already."
"You mark my words, she's going to want revenge on Dumbledore for appointing a new teacher without consulting her," said Hermione, closing the newspaper. "Especially another part-human. You saw the look on her face when she saw Firenze."
"That is true." I agreed. "She looked as if she wanted to stab him with one of her own blood quills."
After breakfast Hermione went to her Arithmancy class, while Harry and I followed Parvati and Lavender into the Entrance Hall, heading for Divination.
"Aren't we going up to North Tower?' I asked as Parvati bypassed the marble staircase.
"How d'you expect Firenze to climb that ladder? We're in classroom eleven now, it was on the noticeboard yesterday." said Parvati, as if I should have known.
Classroom eleven was on the ground floor along the corridor leading off the Entrance Hall from the opposite side to the Great Hall. It was one of those classrooms that were never used regularly, unless you counted late night couples sneaking in there for a good snogging. When we entered the room, we found ourselves in the middle of a forest clearing, as if someone had taken out a chunk of the Forbidden Forest and placed it in the classroom.
"What the-?"
The classroom floor had become springily mossy and trees were growing out of it; their leafy branches fanned across the ceiling and windows, so that the room was full of slanting shafts of soft, dappled, green light. The students who had already arrived were sitting on the earthy floor with their backs resting against tree trunks or boulders, arms wrapped around their knees or folded tightly across their chests, and all looking rather nervous. In the middle of the clearing, where there were no trees, stood Firenze.
"Harry Potter," he said, holding out a hand when Harry entered.
"Er-hi," said Harry, shaking hands with the centaur. "Er-good to see you,"
"And you," said the centaur, inclining his white-blond head. "It was foretold that we would meet again."
The class watched in awe as Firenze and Harry interacted like old friends. We sat down in front of a tree, finding the floor surprisingly comfortable.
When the door was closed and the last student had sat down on a tree stump beside the wastepaper basket, Firenze gestured around the room.
"Professor Dumbledore has kindly arranged this classroom for us," said Firenze, when everyone had settled down, "in imitation of my natural habitat. I would have preferred to teach you in the Forbidden Forest, which was-until Monday-my home ... but that is no longer possible."
"Please-er- sir-" said Parvati breathlessly, raising her hand, "why not? We've been in there with Hagrid, we're not frightened!"
"It is not a question of your bravery," said Firenze, "but of my position. I cannot return to the Forest. My herd has banished me."
"Herd?" said Lavender in a confused voice, as if she thought he meant like a herd of cows or some shit. "What- oh!"
Comprehension dawned on her face. "There are more of you?" she said, stunned.
"Did Hagrid breed you, like the Thestrals?" asked Dean eagerly.
Firenze turned his head very slowly to face Dean, who seemed to realise at once that he had said something very offensive.
"I didn't-I meant-sorry," he finished in a hushed voice.
"Centaurs are not the servants or playthings of humans," said Firenze quietly, recognizing that Dean wasn't trying to be insulting.
"Please, sir ... why have the other centaurs banished you?" asked Parvati.
"Because I have agreed to work for Professor Dumbledore," said Firenze. "They see this as a betrayal of our kind."
Harry and I looked at each other glumly. I wasn't present for the event first year, but Harry had told me all about Firenze and Bane, and how Bane was pissed off that Firenze had helped Harry. This must have been the last straw.
"Let us begin," said Firenze. He swished his long palomino tail, raised his hand towards the leafy canopy overhead, then lowered it slowly, and as he did so, the light in the room dimmed, so that they now seemed to be sitting in a forest clearing at night, and stars appeared on the ceiling.
"Blimey," I said breathlessly, as the other oohed and ahhed. I couldn't help but think back to the girls conversation this morning. Hermione would be on her ass with fascination.
"Lie back on the floor," said Firenze in his calm voice, like a parent telling a bedtime story, "and observe the heavens. Here is written, for those who can see, the fortune of our races."
I stretched out onto the moss covered floor and gazed up at the stars. It was extremely relaxing, so much that I was afraid I would fall asleep.
"I know that you have learned the names of the planets and their moons in Astronomy," said Firenze's calm voice, "and that you have mapped the stars' progress through the heavens. Centaurs have unravelled the mysteries of these movements over centuries. Our findings teach us that the future may be glimpsed in the sky above us-"
"Professor Trelawney did astrology with us!" said Parvati excitedly, raising her hand in front of her so that it stuck up in the air as she lay on her back, her head resting on Lavender's torso. "Mars causes accidents and burns and things like that, and when it makes an angle to Saturn, like now-" she drew a right-angle in the air above her "-that means people need to be extra careful when handling hot things-"
"That," said Firenze calmly, "is human nonsense."
Parvati's hand fell limply to her side. Harry and I couldn't help but snicker.
"Trivial hurts, tiny human accidents," said Firenze, as his hooves thudded over the mossy floor. "These are of no more significance than the scurryings of ants to the wide universe, and are unaffected by planetary movements."
"Professor Trelawney-"began Parvati, in a hurt and indignant voice.
"-is a human," said Firenze simply. "And is therefore blinkered and fettered by the limitations of your kind."
I looked over at Parvati's offended expression. She wasn't the only one that felt like that. Many other faces were scrunched up as well.
"Sybill Trelawney may have Seen, I do not know," continued Firenze, "but she wastes her time, in the main, on the self-flattering nonsense humans call fortune-telling. I, however, am here to explain the wisdom of centaurs, which is impersonal and impartial. We watch the skies for the great tides of evil or change that are sometimes marked there. It may take ten years to be sure of what we are seeing."
Firenze pointed to a result glowing star.
"In the past decade, the indications have been that wizardkind is living through nothing more than a brief calm between two wars. Mars, bringer of battle, shines brightly above us, suggesting that the fight must soon break out again. How soon, centaurs may attempt to divine by the burning of certain herbs and leaves, by the observation of fume and flame."
The lesson was barmy, but very calming. We did burn sage and mallowsweet like we had done in Trelawney's class, and Firenze told us to look for certain shapes and symbols in the thick fumes, however, he seemed perfectly unconcerned that not one of us could see any of the signs he described, telling us that humans were hardly ever good at this, that it took centaurs years and years to become competent, and finished by telling us that it was foolish to put too much faith in such things, anyway, because even centaurs sometimes read them wrongly. He was very unusual as a teacher. As if he wanted to show us that not everything was absolute.
"He's not very definite on anything, is he?" I said to Harry in a low voice, as we put out their mallowsweet fire. "I mean, I could do with a few more details about this war we're about to have, couldn't you?"
"Yeah," said Harry. "He's so vague."
The bell rang right outside the classroom door and everyone jumped. Everybody rose and headed towards the door, most looking just as confused leaving as they did entering.
"Harry Potter, a word, please." called Firenze.
Harry turned. The centaur advanced a little towards him. I hesitated, not knowing if I should stay or leave
'You may stay," Firenze told me, sensing my hesitation. "But close the door, please."
I closed the door quickly.
"Harry Potter, you are a friend of Hagrid's, are you not?" said the centaur.
"Yes," said Harry.
"Then give him a warning from me. His attempt is not working. He would do better to abandon it."
"His attempt is not working?" Harry repeated blankly.
"And he would do better to abandon it," said Firenze, nodding. "I would warn Hagrid myself, but I am banished-it would be unwise for me to go too near the Forest now- Hagrid has troubles enough, without a centaurs' battle."
"But-what's Hagrid attempting to do?" said Harry nervously.
"Hagrid has recently rendered me a great service," said Firenze, "and he has long since earned my respect for the care he shows all living creatures. I shall not betray his secret. But he must be brought to his senses. The attempt is not working. Tell him, Harry Potter. Good-day to you."
March had arrived, and with that my 16th birthday. On the night of my birthday, Hermione and I had prefects duty, however, she had me meet her in the most unusual place.
"Close your eyes." she said, as we stood in front of the portrait of fruit that led to the kitchens.
"What are you planning on doing?" I said, covering my eyes in fake nervousness.
"Don't worry, it won't kill you. At least, I hope it won't." said Hermione in a hesitant voice.
I uncovered my eyes. "Okay, what's going on?"
Hermione moved my hands back over my eyes. "No peeking! I promise you won't die."
I smirked and kept my hands over my eyes. I heard the pear giggle from her tickling it and the portrait creak open. A few minutes later, I smelled burnt chocolate.
"One second." said Hermione as she sounded as if she were fumbling with something. "Okay, move your hands."
I uncovered my eyes and I couldn't help but chuckle. Hermione was standing proudly in front of me holding a plate with what looked like a first attempt of a big chocolate cupcake with a lit candle sticking at the top.
"Hermione, you didn't." I said, feeling the butterflies (as cheesy as that sounded) awaken inside of me.
"Well, I tried at least." said Hermione. "I used to have an Easy Bake Oven when I was younger, and I made horrid cakes then, but hopefully I didn't burn this one too much.
I looked over the cupcake and seen where she put extra icing in some places, probably trying to cover up the charred parts.
We sat down on the bench across from the portrait and I blew out the candle, ensuring to her that I had made a wish. She gave me a fork, and I took some of the top off and popped it into my mouth.
I didn't want to immediately spit it out, but I did end up making a face, causing Hermione's face to fall. I took another bite and this time, it wasn't as bad as the first. I gave her a genuine smile and took about bite.
"You don't have to force yourself to eat it for my feelings, I know it's probably terrible." sighed Hermione.
"No no, it's good actually." I said truthfully. "I mean I think I may have gotten a little bit of what you burned in the first bite, but the second and third was good."
Hermione smiled, looking a bit relieved.
I finished the cupcake and wiped my mouth with my sleeve, something I knew Hermione hated, but for once, she didn't scold me for it. I felt the pull I did when I was at Grimmauld Place and leaned and gave her a hug and a kiss on the forehead.
"Thanks, Mione." I said, my voice shaking slightly. Hermione nodded, making the face she usually made when she was blushing.