Shadows || A Severus Snape Fanfiction

Chapter 28 - The Bane of Hogwarts

Asha doubted Snape would have trouble locating her. She hadn't run far and he was a sharp-witted man. On multiple occasions, Asha had concluded that he was far too perceptive and skilled to be a mere potions professor. She wondered what had led him down this career path. He clearly didn't enjoy his job and wasn't intellectually challenged by it. She thought he would've made a good Auror. Perhaps she should ask him about it. Though, on second thought, it might be a touchy subject. He would definitely read between the lines; why didn't you live up to your potential, Professor Snape? Hmm, yes, maybe not...

Asha's thoughts were interrupted by an eery rustling. The sound was almost indistinguishable from the ambient noise of the forest and she strained her ears, trying to identify the direction it was coming from.

Clutching her wand firmly, she leapt down from the tree, landing softly on the carpet of frosty, rotting leaves below. Moments later, the quiet snapping of a twig rang out from beyond the wall of gloom that marked the edge of the clearing. Asha wondered if perhaps it was just Snape, but even as she thought it, an uneasy shiver ran down her spine and caused her to grip her wand a little tighter. Something didn't feel right.

Backing away from where the noise had come from, she came to a halt in the centre of the glade. Suddenly a sharp crunch sounded from behind her and she whipped around, holding her breath. That certainly wasn't a Snape-like noise, she concluded with a pang of fear. (Asha hadn't failed to notice that, when he wasn't storming around the castle to evoke fear, the Severus Snape was surprisingly light on his feet).

She squinted into the surrounding trees. Had the forest become darker? She was just considering whether or not she should extinguish her suspended orb of light when out of the darkness stepped half a dozen towering, muscular men. No, not men. Centaurs.

Even though Asha's heart was now thumping hard beneath her ribcage, she kept a cool head. She could hear more of them behind her and fought the urge to spin around to see just how many. Maintaining calm, slow movements, she scanned her peripheral vision. The outskirts of the glade were lined with the enormous creatures. She was totally surrounded.

The largest of the centaurs stepped forward, entering the pool of golden light. He had dark, leathery skin and, from what Asha could tell, was the only one of the herd that didn't have his bow knocked and aimed at her skull.

"You should not be here," he thundered. Up until that moment, Asha had doubted she would ever hear a voice deeper and more commanding than Snape's. She resisted the surge of panic that was pressing hard on her chest and forced herself to don a composed, strong demeanour. On the outside, it may have looked like bravery but in reality, the confidence was purely a shield to hide behind.

"I am a student, and these are the school grounds," Asha replied respectfully but firmly, "I have every right to be here". She vaguely hoped that the centaurs were merely cross that she was outside after curfew and were simply going to deduct some house points and send her on her way. Unfortunately, their wild manes and tightly pulled bows did not advocate for their investment in petty school rules or the House Cup.

"These are our forests," said the leader, taking a threatening step forwards. Asha held her ground. "You are trespassing in our territory."

"Trespassing in your forests? I've barely got my foot in the door!" Asha objected. To accentuate her point - that she was literally on the very cusp of the forest - she illuminated her wand and pointed it west, towards the open grounds that lay less than a hundred meters away. In retrospect, this may have been the wrong move. At the sight of Asha brandishing her wand, the centaurs reared up and bellowed in anger. Asha dropped to the ground as an arrow whizzed overhead.