CHAPTER FORTY-TWO - Firenze the Friend

"Step aside, bird," a gentle masculine voice cooed from up ahead, sounding quite far away. Attuoria was still staring through Eylense's feet at those hooves. There were trotting sounds approaching. Another one?

"Reveal yourself, coward!" A different voice boomed. This voice was the opposite of the first one - rough, aggressive, authoritative. It sounded closer too, so it was probably the first pair of black hooves that she'd seen. Attuoria watched silently as a pair of white hooves appeared, stopping right next to the black ones.

Eylense shimmied backwards slightly, curving his wings even more so that it covered Attuoria like a protective dome.

"Such a loyal bird," the first voice mused, the words flowing out so smoothly it was like he was reciting a poem.

"And such a despicable human. Step aside, bird! Stop hiding from us, and face us like a man!"

Attuoria lay low on the ground, not moving an inch. Those were centaurs. Like the one she'd seen during her first-year detention to the Forbidden Forest. That one was Ronan, the one with a chestnut mane whose voice was doleful and dreamlike. The ones in front of her now were black and white, definitely not Ronan. The black one was definitely less friendly, too.

The black hooves took a step closer and Eylense shrieked a sound of warning.

"Bane, have you ever seen a bird like this in our forest before? Or anywhere, for that matter? This bird is huge." The gentle voice spoke.

"No, this is a hunter's bird. Do you see its talons? It's wings? Speed and strength, the perfect combination for a hunter's assistant."

Attuoria almost chuckled. Eylense was also the clumsiest bird in the forest, no doubt.

Maybe she had forgotten to break off from her mental connection with Eylense, because it seems like he heard her and she received a sharp prod on her shin from his talons.

"What did the bird just do?" The rough voice demanded, clearly watching Eylense's every move.

"He kicked his owner," said the gentle voice. "Funny bird."

This conversation wasn't getting anywhere. Attuoria hiding underneath her bird wasn't going to get her anywhere, either. Should she speak up first? Would they listen? Why did they even shoot her, in the first place?

"Eylense," Attuoria nudged the bird gently with her free hand while projecting her thoughts into his mind. "Can you get the arrow out of my hand? Please."

Eylense didn't move.

"They're going to kill you," he responded through his mind.

"How do you know?"

"I can see it in his eyes."

Attuoria's hand unconsciously clenched into a fist. She trusted Eylense's animalistic instincts. He was a hunter, after all. He could sense this kind of stuff.

Perhaps if she managed to get into the black centaur's head, she would be able to figure out her next safe steps.

Attuoria glanced down at the hooves through Eylense's legs again. Would she be able to establish contact just from this? It was worth a try.

Attuoria shut her eyes to block out all other senses, focusing only on her mind. She detached herself, sensing her way around the nothingness towards any signs of another consciousness. Eylense's consciousness was easy to recognise, she was familiar with it. There were two other ones nearby- which one was the right one?

Taking a gamble was her only choice.

"This is an exotic bird, a tropical bird, too. How did it end up here?" Oh, great. Wrong one. "Either the owner is an illegal breeder, or they come from far far away. I wonder how humans from other lands look? I hope this man is friendly. Maybe I could ask him some questions."

Attuoria's mind flew straight back into her body and her eyes shot open. Man. That was the key word.

At this moment, Attuoria wished she had emotions. Emotions were a universal weakness amongst the living beings in the mortal realm. People pitied those who were vulnerable and innocent. A crying little girl would be the perfect image to distract the angry centaur in front of her. But she couldn't cry. She didn't know how.

What else could make someone seem vulnerable and helpless?

All of these thoughts happened within the span of a few seconds. An idea hit her.

"H-Help," Attuoria stuttered, softening her voice and raising the pitch a little.

She watched as the hooves recoiled.

"A girl?" The black centaur exclaimed in a hushed voice.

"I told you you shouldn't have shot so early." The white centaur said amusingly.

"I'm just being cautious," the black centaur hissed, sounding slightly guilty. But after a short pause, he said, "what if they're pretending?"

Attuoria glanced up at her arm which was stuck to the tree. The bleeding had only gotten worse. Her entire forearm was gleaming under the moonlight- no doubt it was blood. It had been painful before, but it was starting to feel rather numb.

The sound of hooves brought her focus back to the situation, and she saw the pair of white hooves again. Only this time, it was very close. Attuoria peered upwards, trying to get a glimpse of the centaur through the gaps in Eylense's large wings.

With only a few slivers to peek through, she noticed long, silky blonde hair. It was like Lucius Malfoy's platinum blonde locks, only smoother and shinier. She couldn't quite see the centaur's face. It was shrouded under darkness as he peered through Eylense's wing back at her.

"Oh Bane, she's a student." The centaur said almost sadly. "That's unfortunate. Should we get her back to the school?"

"A student? Firenze, this isn't the first time you've proposed something like this. We'd better leave, now. This is not our business." Bane's gruff voice responded, suddenly sounding rather alert.

"Ah but you've hurt her, so now it is our business." Firenze leaned down further, and Eylense pulled his wings even closer together so that there was no longer a gap through his feathers.

"Relax, bird, I want to help your owner. I can heal her. Let me see her."

Eylense turned his head and peered down at Attuoria with large, round, grey eyes, as if asking for permission.

"Let him." Attuoria whispered.

The umbrella of feathers slowly unwrapped itself from her body, and Eylense hopped to the side obediently, but still keeping as close to her as possible. His body remained touching her side, the feathers around his neck tickling her arm.

"My apologies, young one." Firenze's full body came into view- he was a beautiful palomino stallion, with a light chestnut coat that appeared slightly rosy. His platinum blonde tail matched his hair. Both were silky and glistening under the moonlight that was filtering through the trees.

"I'm sorry, too." Attuoria said softly, surprising both centaurs. "I wanted to hunt a deer for my bird to eat. I didn't know this was your land."

"Hunting for the bird?" Bane scoffed, his muscular arms folded across his chest. His eyes were narrowed as he stared down at her, not a single sign of sympathy in his gaze.

"He's… clumsier than he seems." Attuoria said truthfully, and Eylense kicked her hard on her shin again.

Firenze chuckled. "Does your bird understand you? That's quite funny." He reached out with his pale arms and grasped his slender fingers around the arrow that was stuck in Attuoria's hand. "This will hurt, but I promise I will heal you right after, alright?"

Attuoria nodded. It probably wasn't going to hurt. So much blood had been lost that she couldn't even feel her arm there anymore. It was as good as dead.

Firenze pulled the arrow and it came out of her hand with a slight squelching sound. Attuoria's arm fell to the ground limply- and that's when she felt a sharp pain shoot through her arm, up her shoulder, and into her spine.

"Well," Firenze said with a huff, tossing the arrow towards Bane, who caught it deftly. "We'd better work fast, or else you're going to lose this arm."

Firenze gently picked up Attuoria's hand, her thick blood coating his ivory palms immediately. She wondered how Firenze's palms felt on her skin- would his palms be rough, like a fighter? Or smooth, like the compassionate healer he is?

A faint white glow was emanating from his hands into her wound, and Attuoria could see the deep crimson of her blood. Slowly, she regained feeling in her fingers, feeling them twitch slightly as fresh blood rushed through once again.

"There, back to normal." Firenze let go of Attuoria's hand, and she flexed them, suddenly feeling quite glad that she did have hands.

"Thank you," said Attuoria, staring up at the majestic creature.

Bane coughed. "We should go."

"No, I don't think so. You, after all, caused this problem. Let's bring her back to the school." Firenze held out a hand to Attuoria, which she took gratefully and holsted herself back onto her feet. Eylense hopped forward to stand in line with her, staring curiously at the centaurs with his round eyes.

"You are not going anywhere near that school," Bane said gruffly. "Drop her off at Hagrid's. That's the best we can do."

"Really, Bane?"

The two centaurs were glaring at each other, now. One was deeply rooted by traditions, and the other by his benevolent heart. Attuoria was in debt to Firenze for helping her, yet she quite admired Bane's unwavering stance.

"It's alright, you don't have to," Attuoria spoke up. "My bird can show me the way. We'll be fine."

"See-"

"No, I insist!" Firenze interrupted Bane, who was shooting daggers at him at this point. "We'll bring you to the edge of the forest and see you to safety."

"You can do that yourself," Bane retorted. "I will be taking my leave, now."

Firenze snapped his head around, looking Bane dead in the eyes. "Have you forgotten what you once said to me? Centaurs are concerned with what has been foretold! Look carefully, and tell me I am wrong." He turned back to face the human girl.

"Let us go. We can find some food for your bird along the way as well."

Eylense let out a happy squawk, fluttering his wings and blowing the foliage into the air. Attuoria followed Firenze- she was lucky he was a palomino horse, since his blonde mane was easy to spot even in the dark.

Attuoria glanced back at Bane while she walked. He clutched the bloody arrow tightly in his hands, observing the moonlit sky. His expression seemed serene. But out of the blue, his eyebrows tightened, his head tilted, and those menacing black eyes bore straight into hers.

"Mars and Venus are aligned, separated by the moon. Does this mean…"

Bane didn't finish his thought. Attuoria blinked, and the black centaur was gone.

***

With a deer slung over Firenze's shoulder, Attuoria and her new centaur friend stood at the edge of the Forbidden forest, staring at Hagrid's pumpkin patch.

"Forgive me for intruding, but I get the feeling that you aren't from here." Firenze said, laying the deer down on the ground for Eylense. Attuoria watched her bird hop eagerly towards his dinner, stabbing his curved beak into the flesh of the animal.

"I'm not." Attuoria said plainly.

The centaur nodded slowly. "So what is your purpose here?"

"Purpose?"

"Nevermind." Firenze shook his head. "Perhaps I said too much. Now, where is Hagrid?"

Hagrid's hut was dark. There was no sign of him nearby. Attuoria knew that he was probably deep in the forest with his half-brother Grawp, but she didn't say anything.

"I know my way from here. We don't have to wait for Hagrid."

"Yes, I know, but I thought it would be better for one of the adults to get an explanation as to why you were in the forest for so long. I know students aren't allowed in here."

Attuoria glanced at Firenze with confusion, and Firenze chuckled.

"You're a brave one to enter the forest alone."

She grimaced at his comment. "Or stupid," she muttered.

"Or stupid," Firenze agreed.

They were silent for a while.

"The forest just feels more like home," Attuoria said, initiating the conversation for once. "I know most people see it as dangerous, but I don't."

"You think like one of us," Firenze mused. "Danger is relevant. Those who fear will always find things they fear. When you aren't clouded by fear, everything is instantly clear."

Attuoria's eyes shot up to meet him. He understood. The irrationality of humans who are constantly overridden by emotions. Though she could tell that both he and Bane were emotional creatures, it was enough that he could see through it.

"Look, Hagrid's back." Firenze pointed across the pumpkin patch to where Hagrid was approaching them. He had just come out of the forest himself, with a large crossbow clutched in his hand.

"Thank you, Firenze."

"Oh?" Firenze raised an eyebrow. "You're most welcome."

"Do you ever feel like you don't belong here?" Attuoria asked boldly, wanting to hear more from him.

Firenze sighed, but smiled. A sad smile. "I think you know how I feel."

"Attuoria?" Hagrid's voice boomed along with his footsteps as he approached them. "Firenze? What're you guys doin' here?"

Firenze dipped his head politely. "She was helping her bird hunt in the forest when Bane shot her in the hand. Luckily I was there, too, so I managed to stop him. Her hand is mostly healed, but I think it would be best for you to bring her back into the school to get it checked again. I'm not certain that her pinkie's in the right place."

Attuoria instinctively checked on her hand. Her fingers seemed fine. She held up her left hand for comparison and noticed that her right pinkie was bent slightly outward compared to her left. Strange. She didn't feel that it was out of place.

"Ah, alrigh'. Thanks, Firenze, I'll take her to the hospital wing." Hagrid lumbered over to Attuoria, taking a glance at Eylense, who was halfway done with devouring his deer.

"Yeh caught that yerself?" Hagrid asked.

Attuoria shook her head. "Firenze caught it for me. Although I think I was close before Bane shot me."

Hagrid chuckled and clicked his tongue. "That's their land in there, no one's allowed to hunt in 'ere unless yeh got permission from them centaurs. Next time you need anything, just ask me, okay? I'll feed yer bird."

"I'll see you soon, Attuoria." Firenze suddenly said, his voice sounding quite far away. "As for you, Hagrid, keep our words in mind."

The blonde centaur disappeared into the woods with a flash, reminding Attuoria of the unicorn she'd once seen in the forest.

Hagrid walked Attuoria into the castle and to the hospital wing, where Madam Pomfrey complained about how inexperienced healers shouldn't mend hands because there were so many small bones in the wrist that the slightest mistake would be detrimental.

The process of shifting what Madam Pomfrey called the "triquetrum" into the right place was so painful that Attuoria kind of wished she had lost all the blood in her arms again. Most humans would've cried and cursed and shouted at this kind of pain, but Attuoria knew all those reactions were useless. So instead, she shut down her entire conscience and did what humans called "fainting".

When Attuoria woke up (a.k.a. Decided that Madam Pomfrey should be about finished with fixing her bones), she saw Hermione sitting next to her, worry written all over her face.

"Attuoria! You're awake! How are you feeling? What happened? Are you okay?" Questions flew out of Hermione's mouth like a tsunami breaking through a dam. Before Attuoria could even answer, Hermione had already changed the topic. "I've been waiting for you to get back because I don't think Harry's doing very well, but never did I think you would run into trouble! What is that mark on your hand? It looks like your skin was torn open and sewn back again- wait no, I shouldn't say that, it'll only make you feel worse."

Amidst Hermione's rambling, Attuoria sneaked a glance at her hand.

Oh. It was bad. She hadn't noticed it earlier since it was so dark outside, but there were dark lines on both the back of her hand and the center of her palm, which stretched out in four different directions similar to the shape of the arrow-tip that had pierced her skin. The magic healing had done well to piece her skin back together, but it was inevitable that some parts of it had been lost and so the patching wasn't perfect. The lines would fade eventually, and her skin would flatten out eventually, too, but that was probably going to take a while.

"How's Harry?" Attuoria interrupted Hermione.

"I'm not sure. I think you should talk to him."

The two made their way up to the common room after Attuoria thanked Madam Pomfrey. The common room was loud, unsurprisingly due to the presence of the twins.

"Headless hats!" George announced, waving around a flamingo-pink feathered hat. "Place your orders now!"

"I can't believe they're still going," Hermione groaned, watching Fred's head vanish from sight as the hat was placed onto his head. "Don't they ever get tired?"

"If you want me to shut them up…"

"No no, it's fine," Hermione shook her head immediately. "They're not doing anything against the rules. I'm just surprised that they have so much energy."

Attuoria shrugged. "Maybe it's because you spend too much time on homework. If you didn't care about school, you could be living as enthusiastically as them, too."

Hermione grimaced and sighed. "You make me sound so boring."

"That makes two of us. Where's Harry and Ron?"

"In their room." Hermione slumped down onto the couch by the fire, running her hands over her face. "There's so much work…"

Attuoria patted her on the head gently. "Take it easy. I'll go check on them."

She dodged the twins who tried to slap hats on her and give her hugs, bolting up the boys dormitory and earning some loud comments from the people in the common room.

"FRED GO GET YOUR GIRL-" Someone's shout echoed up the staircase as Attuoria pushed the door open to Harry and Ron's dorm.

The two boys were each laying on their beds, Ron staring wide-eyed at the ceiling, and Harry with his face buried in his pillows.

"Hey," Ron raised a hand as a greeting. "I would ask you to knock, but you're already here. What's up?"

Attuoria swiped a glance at Harry.

"Er, he's alright. I think." Ron answered Attuoria's unspoken question. Attuoria nodded but went and knelt next to Harry's bed anyways. She gently touched his hand, which was resting on top of one of his pillows.

Harry jerked his hand away quickly, his head shooting up from the bed and staring at her with fear. It only lasted for a split second, before his gaze softened and he fell back onto his pillows. "Oh. It's you. Hi."

"How are you feeling?" Attuoria asked quietly, lightly brushing his face, which was unusually pale and cold.

"Tired," he grumbled. "I think he made me worse."

"I would expect no less from Snape."

Harry chuckled and sighed. He inhaled deeply, before lowering his voice to a mere whisper, and Attuoria had to lean in to hear him properly.

"He got into my head again."

Attuoria instantly knew that the 'he' in this sentence wasn't Snape.

"What happened?" she whispered back.

"It was maybe ten minutes ago? Twenty? I walked into the dorm and just… started laughing. I was happy. But it wasn't me, it was him. He was happy. Something had happened that he's been hoping for, something really, really good. Whatever he's happy about, it can't be good. Something's bad coming." Harry physically shivered after he spoke. His hand gripped the sheet underneath him tightly, his knuckles turning white. "I'm being possessed again."

Attuoria was lost for words. She knew exactly what Voldemort was happy about. His Death Eaters had arrived. His army was back. His strongest fighters were up once again. This was her doing- the success of her task, proven by Harry's vision.

"You'd think a dark wizard like him would be able to keep his emotions in check."

"What?" Harry frowned, and Attuoria realised she'd said that out loud. It was a small joke that only she (and maybe Firenze) would understand.

"I just think it's kind of funny," said Attuoria, shrugging. "Does Dumbledore scream with manic laughter when something good happens? No. He's more or less in control of himself. But Voldemort…"

Attuoria couldn't help but laugh lightly. The menacing dark wizard can't keep control of his own emotions. That was pretty funny.

Harry gave her a sheepish look. "I can always count on you to know exactly what not to say during a situation."

"Sorry. I'm working on it."

"But I suppose that is kind of funny," said Harry, and Attuoria knew he was just trying to make her feel better, so she just smiled weakly at him.

They were silent for a while, and Harry closed his eyes.

"Would you like me to stay?" Attuoria asked, knowing that while they were at Grimmauld place, he always preferred her to be there to watch over his thoughts.

"Er, I don't know how Seamus, Dean, and Neville would feel about that!" Ron called from his bed, an awkward look on his face.

"Oh, right." Attuoria glanced back at Harry, who's eyes were closed but he was clearly listening. "Don't worry, I'll be right there if you need me, okay?"

Harry nodded slightly, but that was it.

"Goodnight, Ron," Attuoria dipped her head towards Ron, who waved back.

"Goodnight!"

She jogged down the stairs of the boys dormitory, returning back to the common room. The noise from before had died down already. The twins were lounging on chairs by a wooden table, focused on a box that probably contained their pre-order payments.

"Hey Attuoria!" Lee Jordan called from the table. "We did you a favour and told the other fifth year guys not to go into their room!"

Attuoria stared at him blankly, not understanding. "Um… thanks?"

Fred and George both slapped their foreheads as Lee burst out laughing.

Confused once again, she decided she didn't quite want to deal with their incomprehensible jokes tonight. Hermione was nowhere to be seen in the common room, so she probably went up already.

"Goodnight, I guess." Attuoria gave them a shrug before turning and heading up the stairs to the girls dorm. Laughter ensued behind her, and she thought she heard Fred shout and something crash onto the ground.