𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗼𝗰𝗸, harry potter

˗ˋ 164

"If I die, it'll be both of your faults." Aviana snapped, the last to follow the three into the trees. "Whatever the hell he's got planned, it's both of your faults if I die."

"You're not going to die." Hermione rolled her eyes.

"He has a crossbow. Aren't you supposed to be smart?" Aviana hissed, gesturing over to the man. "I'm not saying he's going to kill us, just whatever he needs protection from is probably going to kill us."

Harry shook his head. "It'll be fine." He said, although his voice wavered. "Hagrid, why are you armed?" He called out instead.

"Jus' a precaution." Hagrid shrugged his massive shoulders.

"You didn't bring your crossbow the day you showed us the thestrals." Hermione added.

"Nor with the Hippogriffs." Aviana muttered. "Don't even think he brought the crossbow when we went looking for something that was killing and drinking the blood of unicorns!" She hissed.

"Nah, well, we weren' goin' in so far then." Hagrid waved off their concern. Now that they were in the forest, away from the open space around the Quidditch pitch and hidden under the canopy of leaves, he appeared much more relaxed and like himself. "An' anyway, tha' was before Firenze left the forest, wasn't it?"

"I'm going to get killed by a centaur." Aviana muttered under her breath.

"Why does Firenze leaving make a difference?" Hermione asked.

"'Cause the other centaurs are good an' ruled at me, tha's why." Hagrid said quietly, once more paranoid as he glanced around as though the very centaurs he was speaking about were listening behind the trees waiting for them. "They used ter be - well, yeh couldn' call 'em friendly - but we got on all righ'. Kept 'emselves to 'emselves, bu' always turned up if I wanted a word. Not anymore..." He sighed deeply.

"Firenze said that they're angry because he went to work for Dumbledore." Hard said, almost tripping on a protruding root. He turned back, automatically holding his hand out for Aviana to climb over it.

"Yeah." Hagrid sighed heavily. "Well, angry doesn' covver it. Ruddy livid. If I hadn' stepped in, I reckon they'd've kicked Firenze ter death-"

"They attacked him?" Hermione asked, sounding shocked.

"Yep." Hagrid said gruffly, forcing his way through several low hanging branches. "He had half the herd onto him-"

"And you stopped it?" Harry sounded impressed. "By yourself?"

"'Course I did, couldn't stand by an' watch 'em kill him, could I?" Hagrid replied. "Lucky I was passin', really... an' I'd've thought Firenze mighta remembered tha' before he started send' me stupid warnin's!" He added hotly, scowling. "Anyway, since then the other centaurs've bin livid with me an' the trouble is, they've got a lot of influence in the forest... Cleverest creatures in here."

"And you decided it was a good idea to bring three teenagers in here?" Aviana commented. But she was still whispering, and Harry got the idea that she didn't actually want to say anything to Hagrid but rather make herself feel better for missing the match.

"Is that why we're here, Hagrid?" Hermione asked, loud enough to drown out any other comments. "The centaurs?"

"Ah, no." Hagrid shook his head dismissively, "no, it's not them... Well, o' course, they could complicate the problem, yeah... but yeh'll see what I mean in a bit."