𝗟𝗢𝗡𝗗𝗢𝗡 𝗕𝗢𝗬

ACT TWO, CHAPTER TWELVE
grawp to the rescue.

A REOCCURRING THEME with Venus was that she had absolutely no idea what was going on most of the time.

This moment was definitely no exception.

She and Hermione led Harry and Umbridge down the corridor outside Umbridge's office. Venus, having opened her mouth to say something about a weapon to agree with Hermione, obviously had to make it seem like her and Hermione knew where they were going. Hermione might've known, but Venus had no clue, so she was just following blindly. Venus resisted the urge to look back at Harry and Umbridge and kept her head straight.

Hermione led the way down the stairs into the entrance hall, the sound of loud voices and silverware on plates echoing from the double doors to the Great Hall. Venus found it incredible how everyone in there was enjoying dinner like nothing was going on, meanwhile she was caught up in this crazy situation.

Venus was now following Hermione out of the oak front doors and down the stone steps of Hogwarts into the mild June evening air. The sun was approaching the top of the trees in the Forbidden Forest, lighting up the rest of the sky tints of orange and pink. Hermione marched purposefully across the grass, and Venus copied her action, pretending to know what they were doing.

"It's hidden in Hagrid's hut, is it?" Umbridge asked eagerly.

"Of course not," Hermione replied scathingly. "Hagrid might have set it off accidentally."

Umbridge's excitement seem to have increased. "Yes. Yes, he would have done, of course, the great half-breed oaf . . ."

She laughed, and Venus (very reluctantly, she might add) resisted the urge to whirl around and punch Umbridge right across the face.

"Then . . . where is it?" Umbridge questioned with a hint of uncertainty in her tone as Hermione continued to head straight for the forest.

Hermione pointed into the dark trees. "In there, of course. It had to be somewhere that students weren't going to find it accidentally, didn't it?"

Umbridge seemed to be a little apprehensive now. "Of course. Of course . . . very well, then . . . you three stay ahead of me."

"Can we have your wand, then, if we're going first?" Harry inquired to her.

"No, I don't think so, Mr. Potter. The Ministry places a rather higher value on my life than yours, I'm afraid."

They reached the cool shade of the first trees. Venus' mind was spinning — walking into the forest without wands was probably the most reckless thing they had done this evening, and that was saying a lot, because everything they did was reckless. Hermione gave Umbridge a disdainful look before plunging straight into the trees, walking fast.

"Is it very far in?" Umbridge asked, Venus hearing the sound of the fabric of her cloak ripping.

"Oh yes," Hermione answered. "Yes, it's well hidden."

"Er — are you sure this is the right way?" Harry questioned, sounding just a tiny bit panicked.

"Oh yes." Hermione crashed through the undergrowth with much more noise that was needed. Umbridge tripped over a fallen sapling, and none of them paused to help her up. "It's a bit further in!"

"Hermione, keep your voice down," Harry muttered, finally appearing by Venus' side, their hands brushing against one another's. "Anything could be listening in here—"

"I want us heard," she revealed quietly as Umbridge jogged noisily after them. "You'll see . . ."

They walked for what seemed like an eternity before they were so deep in the forest that the dense tree canopy blocked out all light. Venus felt shivers run up her spine. She had a very bad feeling they were being watched . . .

"How much further?" Umbridge demanded angrily.

"Oh, not far," Venus responded to play along, speaking for the first time since leaving Umbridge's office as they entered a dim clearing. "So next we—"

An arrow suddenly flew through the air and landed with a menacing thud in the tree just over her head. Venus' eyes widened and she jumped backwards, crashing slightly into Hermione. Hermione grabbed her arm to steady her as Venus almost fell from the trembling of the forest floor. She whirled around to see about fifty Centaurs emerging on every side, their bows raised and loaded at the group of four. They all backed slowly into the center of the clearing, Umbridge letting out odd little whimpers of terror. Venus stole a glance at Hermione, who was wearing a triumphant smile.

"Who are you?" a voice inquired.

Venus looked left. She recognized the chestnut-colored Centaur as Magorian. Magorian was walking towards them out of his circle, his bow still raised. Umbridge was still whimpering and her wand was trembling violently as she pointed at the advancing Centaur.

"I asked you who are you, human," Magorian continued roughly.

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

"You are from the Ministry of Magic?" Magorian asked as many of the Centaurs in the surrounding circle shifted restlessly.

"That's right!" Umbridge confirmed in an even higher voice. "So be very careful! By the laws laid down by the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, any attack by half-breeds such as yourselves on a human—"

"What did you call us?" a black-colored Centaur shouted.

Venus recognized that one as Bane. There was also a great deal of angry muttering and tightening of bowstrings from every single one of the Centaurs.

"Don't call them that!" Hermione scolded furiously.

Umbridge seemed to not have heard her and continued to point her shaking wand at Magorian. "Law Fifteen B states clearly that Any attack by a magical creature who is deemed to have near-human intelligence, and therefore considered responsible for its actions—"

"Near-human intelligence?" Magorian repeated as Bane and several other Centaurs roared with rage and pawed at the ground. "We consider that a great insult, human! Our intelligence, thankfully, far outstrips your own—"

"What are you doing in our forest?" the hard-faced gray Centaur — whom Venus, Harry, Hermione, Charlotte, and Elijah had encountered on their last trip into the forest — bellowed. "Why are you here?"

"Your forest?" Umbridge stated, shaking now with anger as well as fright. "I would remind you that you live here only because the Ministry of Magic permits you certain areas of land—"

An arrow flew so close to her head that some of it caught her hair when it past. Venus' eyes widened as Umbridge let out an earsplitting scream and threw her hands over her head. Some of the Centaurs exclaimed their approval while others laughed loudly. The sound of their wild, neighing laughter echoing around the dimly lit clearing and the sight of their pawing hooves was extremely, and Venus means extremely, unnerving.

"Whose forest is it now, human?" Bane taunted.

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

"Be quiet!" Hermione shouted, but it was too late.

Umbridge pointed her wand at Magorian. "Incarcerous!"

Ropes flew out of midair and wrapped themselves tightly around the Centaur's torso, trapping his arms. Magorian let out a cry of rage and reared on his hind legs to attempt to free himself. Meanwhile, the other Centaurs charged.

Harry grabbed both Venus and Hermione and pulled them to the ground. Venus held onto Harry's hand tightly, her heart racing fast as she laid facedown on the forest floor. The sound of hooves thundering around her gave her a moment of terror, but the Centaurs paid them no attention and continued to go after Umbridge, bellowing and screaming with rage.

"Nooooo!" Umbridge shrieked. "Noooooo . . . I am Senior Undersecretary . . . you cannot . . . unhand me, you animals . . . nooooo!"

There was a flash of red light, and Venus could tell that she had attempted to Stun one of them. Umbridge then screamed very loudly. Venus lifted her head a little to see that Umbridge had been seized from behind by Bane and lifted high into the air, wriggling and yelling with fright. Her wand fell from her hand to the ground. Harry extended his hand towards it, but a Centaur's hoof then stomped on the wand and broke it cleanly in half.

"Now!" a voice roared.

An arm seized around Venus' waist and pulled her up. She let out a shriek at the sudden movement and her hand was wrenched out of Harry's. Hermione and Harry had also been pulled to her feet by Centaurs. Over the many bodies of Centaurs, Venus saw Umbridge being carried away through the trees by Bane, still screaming her head off. Her voice grew fainter and fainter until it was no longer able to be heard over the trampling of hooves surrounding them.

"And these?" the gray Centaur questioned.

"They are young," a slow, doleful voice said. "We do not attack foals."

"They brought her here, Ronan," the Centaur holding Harry replied. "And they are not so young . . . he is nearing manhood, this one . . ." He shook Harry by the neck of his robes.

"Please, please, don't attack us, wedon't think like her, we aren't Ministry of Magic employees!" Hermione pleaded breathlessly. "We only came in here because we hoped you'd drive her off for us—"

Venus winced. That was definitely not what she should have said.

The gray Centaur threw back his head, his back legs stamping furiously. "You see, Ronan? They already have the arrogance of their kind! So we were to do your dirty work, were we, human girl? We were to act as your servants, drive away your enemies like obedient hounds?"

"No!" Hermione voiced in a horrorstruck squeak. "Please — I didn't mean that! I just hoped you'd be able to — to help us—"

Venus wanted to bury her face into her hands. Hermione was currently just making everything worse.

"We do not help humans!" the Centaur holding Harry snarled, rearing a little at the same time so that Harry lifted off the ground for a moment, Venus' heart jumping. "We are a race apart and proud to be so . . . we will not permit you to walk from here, boasting that we did your bidding!"

"We're not going to say anything like that!" Harry argued. "We know you didn't do anything because we wanted you to—"

Unfortunately, nobody seemed to be hearing him.

"They came hear unasked, they must pay the consequences!" a bearded Centaur towards the back of the crowd shouted, which was immediately followed by a roar of approval.

"They can join the woman!" another Centaur added.

"You told us you didn't hurt the innocent," Venus remembered, her tone calm despite her completely freaking out. "We're innocent, we promise. Look, we don't even have wands right now — all we want is to just go back to school, so please—"

"We are not all like the traitor Firenze, human girl!" the gray Centaur interrupted, the Centaurs roaring approval once again. "Perhaps you thought us pretty talking horses? We are an ancient people who will not stand wizard invasions and insults! We do not recognize your laws, we do not acknowledge your superiority, we are—"

However, they did not hear what else Centaurs were, because there was a sudden crashing noise on the edge of the clearing. It was so loud that all of them — Venus, Harry, Hermione, and all the Centaurs in the clearing — looked around. The Centaur holding Venus let her fall to the ground to grab his bow and quiver of arrows. Harry and Hermione had been dropped as well, so Harry rushed over to Venus, grabbed her hand, and pulled her over to Hermione as two thick tree trunks parted to reveal the monstrous form of Grawp the Giant.

The Centaurs all backed up into the each other as the clearing became a forest of bows and arrows waiting to be fired, all pointing upwards at the enormous grayish face that was looming over them. Grawp's lopsided mouth was gaping stupidly, and his bricklike yellow teeth were glimmering in the half-light. He squinted down at the creatures at his feet and broken ropes trailed from both of his ankles.

"Oh, so he learned how to escape," Venus whispered to herself. "Wonderful. Great for us."

Grawp opened his mouth wider. "Hagger."

What? Venus had no clue what that meant, but her eyes were locked on Grawp's huge figure. Her grip on Harry's hand tightened in anticipation of what was going to happen. The Centaurs were silent and continued to stare up at the Giant, whose head was moving from side to side to look amongst them.

"Hagger!" he repeated, this time more insistently.

"Get away from here, giant!" Magorian ordered. "You are not welcome among us!"

Grawp stooped a little, making the Centaurs' arms tense on their bows. "HAGGER!"

Hermione gave out a gasp. "Harry, Venus! I think he's trying to say Hagrid!"

At that moment, Grawp caught sight of them, the only three humans in the clearing. He lowered his head about another foot to stare at them intently. Venus subconsciously moved closer to Harry.

Grawp opened his mouth wide again. "Hermy."

"Goodness, he — he remembered!" Hermione breathed out.

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

"I don't know! I'm sorry, Grawp, I don't know!"

"GRAWP WANT HAGGER!"

One of the giant's massive hands then swooped down upon them. Hermione screamed and ran a few steps backwards and fell over. Harry let go of Venus' hand and pushed her gently a little ways behind his back. Grawp's hand knocked a white-colored Centaur off his legs, but this was what the Centaurs had been waiting for. Fifty arrows went soaring through the air, embedding themselves in Grawp's face. Grawp howled in pain and rage and straightened up again. He rubbed his face with his enormous hands, breaking off the arrow shafts but forcing the heads in deeper.

Grawp yelled and stamped his enormous feet, forcing the Centaurs to scatter out of the way. Droplets of Grawp's blood the size of pebbles showered down upon Venus, Harry, and Hermione. Venus inwardly cringed as she pulled Hermione to her feet, the two of them and Harry running as fast as they could for the shelter of the trees. Once they made it, they looked back. Grawp was snatching blindly at the Centaurs as blood ran down his face. The Centaurs were retreating in disorder, galloping away through the trees and the other side of the clearing. Grawp gave another roar of fury and went after them, smashing more trees aside as they went.

"Oh no," Hermione whispered, shaking so badly that her knees were giving out. "Oh, that was horrible. And he might kill them all . . ."

"I'm not that fussed, to be honest," Harry admitted bitterly as the sounds of the galloping Centaurs and the blundering Giant grew fainter. He then turned to Hermione, and Venus could tell that he was mad — real mad. "Smart plan. Really smart plan. Where do we go from here?"

"We need to get back up to the castle," Hermione voiced.

"By the time we've done that, Sirius'll probably be dead!" Harry exclaimed, kicking a nearby tree in temper.

"Okay, let's just pause for a second," Venus cut in.

Harry stared at her incredulously. "We've done enough pausing!"

Hermione picked herself up off of the floor. "Well, we can't do anything without wands. Anyway, Harry, how exactly were you planning to get all the way to London?"

"Yeah, we were just wondering that," a familiar voice then said from behind her.

Venus, Harry, and Hermione moved closer to each other instinctively as they peered through the trees. Ron and Penelope came into sight, followed by Charlotte, Elijah, Ginny, Neville, and Luna. All of them seemed to be a little beat up. Ron's lip was bleeding worse than ever, Penelope was bleeding out of the mouth, Charlotte's nose was bleeding a little (woah, okay, a lot of blood), Elijah had a black eye, Ginny had several long scratches running the length of her cheek, Neville had a large purple lump swelling above his right eye, and Luna . . . well, Luna looked fine.

Ron pushed aside a low-hanging branch and held out Harry's wand. "So, had any ideas?"

Harry took his wand back and stared at Ron in amazement. "How did you get away?"

"Couple of Stunners, a Disarming Charm, Neville brought off a really nice little Impediment Jinx." Ron then gave Venus and Hermione their wands back, Venus smiling graciously at him. "But Ginny was best, she got Malfoy — Bat-Bogey Hex — it was superb, his whole face was covered in the great flapping things. Penelope was brilliant as well — she stared the whole fight by punching Parkinson across the face." He looked down at his girlfriend in concern, asking if she was all right because Parkinson had caught her mouth. Penelope wiped the blood away from the corner of her mouth with her bruised knuckles and told him she was fine. "Anyway, we saw you heading into the forest out of the window and followed. What've you done with Umbridge?"

"She got carried away. By herd of Centaurs."

"And they left you behind?" Ginny inquired, looking astonished.

"No, they got chased off by Grawp," Harry revealed.

"Who's Grawp?" Luna asked in interest.

"Hagrid's little brother," Ron responded. "Anyway, never mind that now. Harry, what did you find out in the fire? Has You-Know-Who got Sirius or—?"

"Yes, and I'm sure Sirius is still alive, but I can't see how we're going to get there to help him," Harry said.

Their group fell silent. They all looked rather scared — after all, they had reached the most difficult part of the plan.

"Well, we'll have to fly, won't we?" Luna announced, her voices less airy than Venus had ever heard.

Harry rounded on her in irritation. "Okay, first of all, we aren't doing anything if you're including yourself in that, and second of all, Ron's the only one with a broomstick that isn't being guarded by a security troll, so—"

"I've got a broom!" Ginny interjected.

"Yeah, but you're not coming," Ron told her in anger.

Ginny set her jaw, giving her a striking resemblance to Fred and George. "Excuse me, but I care what happens to Sirius as much as you do!"

"You're too—" Harry began.

"I'm three years older than you were when you fought You-Know-Who over the Sorcerer's Stone, and it's because of me Malfoy's stuck back in Umbridge's office with giant flying bogeys attacking him—"

"Yeah, but—"

"We were all in the D.A. together," Neville voiced quietly. "It was all supposed to be about fighting You-Know-Who, wasn't it? And this is the first chance we've had to do something real — or was that all just a game or something?"

"No — of course it wasn't—" Harry started to say impatiently.

"Then we should come too. We want to help."

Luna smiled happily. "That's right.

Harry was obviously still trying to fight it. "Well, it doesn't matter anyway, because we still don't know how to get there—"

"I thought we'd settled that?" Luna cut in. "We're flying!"

Ron was barely trying to contain his anger. "Look, you might be able to fly without a broomstick but the rest of us can't sprout wings whenever we—"

"There are other ways of flying than with broomsticks."

"I s'pose we're going to ride on the back of the Kacky Snorgle orwhatever it is?"

"The Crumple-Horned Snorkack can't fly, but they can, and Hagrid says they're very good at finding places their riders are looking for," Luna recited after Penelope scolded Ron.

"Yes!" Harry whispered, moving towards a blank spot in the clearing — however, when he reached out his hand, it stopped on something midair.

Venus' eyebrows knit in thought before her eyes widened slightly in realization. Oh. There must've been Thestrals here.

"Is it those mad horse things?" Ron asked uncertainly. "Those ones you can't see unless you've watched someone snuff it?"

"Yeah," Harry replied.

"How many?"

"Just two."

"Well, we need four," Hermione revealed, looking shaken yet determined.

Penelope then immediately interjected, saying that they needed five so they could take her since she hadn't punched people today for nothing. Ron then tried to argue with her, but instantly went quiet at the threat of her punching him.

Elijah then raised his hand. "Uh, we'll need two more. Lottie and I, that makes seven—"

Ginny scowled at him. "Eight, Eli."

Luna counted everyone there. "I think there are ten of us, actually."

"Don't be stupid, we can't all go!" Harry exclaimed angrily. "Look, you three—" he pointed to Neville, Ginny, and Luna "—you're not involved in this, you're not—" They instantly burst into more protests, and Harry apparently didn't want to argue anymore. "Okay, fine, it's your choice. But unless we can find more Thestrals you're not going to be able—"

"Oh, more of them will come," Ginny stated confidently.

"What makes you think that?"

"Because in case you hadn't noticed, you, Venus, and Hermione are both covered in blood, and we know Hagrid lures Thestrals with raw meat, so that's probably why these two turned up in the first place . . ."

"Okay then," Harry began. "Ron and I will take these two and go ahead, and Hermione can stay here with you seven and she'll attract more Thestrals—"

Venus blinked. What about her?

"I'm not staying behind!" Hermione protested furiously.

Luna was smiling. "There's no need. Look, here come more now . . . you three must really smell . . ."

More Thestrals must've appeared. Venus gave Harry an innocent smile. There was no excuse now.

"All right, pick one and get on, then," Harry decided, which started the night that none of them would ever forget.

» • » ✧ « • «

hi hello red (tv) has destroyed me and idk what to do anymore

also can we talk for a second about sadie sink's incredible acting? like that scene in the all too well short film where she was curled up on the bed crying her absolute heart out made me SOB