shy ↳ Scorpius Malfoy

Chapter Twenty Five

In the Forbidden Forest, many people search for the missing wizards and witch. Harry Potter is left alone when the people fan out, searching for Albus, Scorpius, and Albus.

"Albus?" Harry calls out for his son. "Scorpius? Alice? Albus?" He receives no answer, however, he hears the sound of hooves approaching him. The man looks around, startled. Suddenly, a magnificent centaur steps forward, now visible in the light.

"Harry Potter," the centaur says.

"Good," Harry says, relieved to see a familiar face. "You will recognize me, Bane."

"You've grown older," Bane notices.

"I have."

"But not wiser," Bane says. "For you trespass on our land."

Harry defends himself. "I have always respected the centaurs. We are not enemies. You fought bravely at the Battle of Hogwarts. And I fought beside you."

"I did my part," says the centaur. "But for my herd, and our honor. Not for you. And after the battle, the forest was deemed centaur land. And if you're on our land— without permission— then you are our enemy."

"My son is missing, Bane," Harry says. "I need help finding him."

"And he is here?" Bane asks. "In our forest?"

"Yes."

"Then he is as stupid as you are," Bane says.

"Can you help me, Bane?" Harry asks. Bane pauses, then looks down at the man imperiously.

"I can only tell you what I know... But I tell you not for your benefit but for the benefit of my herd. The centaurs do not need another war," Bane explains.

"Neither do we!" Harry reiterates. "What do you know?"

"I've seen your son, Harry Potter," Bane admits. "Seen him in the movements of the stars."

"You've seen him in the stars?"

"I can't tell you where he is," the centaur says. "I can't tell you how you'll find him."

"But you've seen something?" Harry tries again. "You've divined something?"

"There is a black cloud around your son, a dangerous black cloud," Bane says.

"Around Albus?" Harry asks.

"A black cloud that may endanger us all," Bane says. "You'll find your son again, Harry Potter. But then you could lose him forever." Bane then makes a sound like a horse's cry, and then he marches away, leaving Harry behind, bewildered. Harry begins to search again with even more fervor.

"Albus! Albus!"

•••

At the edge of the Forbidden Forest, Scorpius, Albus, and Alice round a corner and come to a gap in the trees where a glorious light is visible to the children.

"And there it is," Scorpius says.

"Hogwarts," Albus confirms. "Never seen this view of it before."

"Still get a tingle, don't you?" Scorpius asks. "When you see it?"

The massive school is completely visible through the trees now, large and beautiful.

"From the moment I first heard of it, I was desperate to go," Scorpius continues. "I mean, Dad didn't much like it there but even the way he described it... from the age of ten I'd check the Daily Prophet first thing every morning— certain some sort of tragedy would have befallen it— certain I wouldn't get to go."