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As the days gone by, Celeste found herself pranking way too many people as Harry and Hermione weren't there to keep her busy or to stop her. It got to the point that Filch started to ask Mrs.Norris as to why he always ends up accidentally accusing Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape after the fog from the bombs cleared up.
Celeste was in the library with Hermione and Ron as her mind drifted back onto her father's figure and she unconsciously ran her hand across the bracelet on her arm. She mumble soft words under her breath before placing the bracelet onto a ring as it adjusted to her finger size.
Harry soon came running, breathless as he explained to the three he just saw Quirrell finally giving up on whatever it was that he was holding up and Celeste sighed.
"Snape's done it, then!" Ron exclaims. "If Quirrell's told him how to break his Anti-Dark Force spell --"
"There's still Fluffy, though," Hermione and Celeste says at the same time.
"Maybe Snape's found out how to get past him without asking Hagrid," Ron mentioned. "I bet there's a book somewhere in here telling you how to get past a giant three-headed dog. So what do we do, Harry?"
Celeste saw a glint of adventure light up in Ron's eyes and she smiled softly at the ginger boy before Hermione stood up
"We tell Dumbeldore, we should've done that since the beginning!" Hermione says
"But we've got no proof" Celeste says
"Quirrell's too scared to back us up. Snape's only got to say he doesn't know how the troll got in at Halloween and that he was nowhere near the third floor -- who do you think they'll believe, him or us? It's not exactly a secret we hate him, Dumbledore'll think we made it up to get him sacked. Filch wouldn't help us if his life depended on it, he's too friendly with Snape, and the more students get thrown out, the better, he'll think. And don't forget, we're not supposed to know about the Stone or Fluffy. That'll take a lot of explaining." Harry ranted and Celeste felt like her head was going to explode from all of this.
"Let's poke around-"
"No more poking around" Harry says flatly and Celeste muttered sadly before she goes over to Ron and the two started drawing small stick figures, representing them. Then added a big dog-like creature and a cloaked stickman with mop-like hair.
The next day, Hermione, Harry, Ron and Celeste got a letter from McGonagall about their detention.
"I can't believe we got detention" Ron groans and Celeste shrugs at him as they all went down to the entrance hall.
"We really shouldn't have" Celeste says "Who would've known what would happen to you if I hadn't brought you sooner"
"Yeah well you actually do deserve those detentions, heard from Fred and George that you've been pranking like crazy these days" Ron says and Celeste scoffs.
"I can't believe you would say that" She hits his arm and Ron pretends to die.
"Ah!" He cried "That hurts! I'm dying! Celeste's killing me!"
"I bloody hate you" Celeste mutters and Ron smiles at her.
"Yeah Yeah, Love you too Leste"
When they actually reached the hall they saw Malfoy but Celeste realized that Neville wasn't there.
"Can't believe Neville isn't here but Draco is" Celeste mutters and Ron nods. They four went over to Malfoy and Filch.
"Follow me" He says as he brought a dim lamp with him
"I bet you'll think twice about breaking a school rule again, won't you, eh?" he said, leering at them. "Oh yes... hard work and pain are the best teachers if you ask me.... It's just a pity they let the old punishments die out... hang you by your wrists from the ceiling for a few days, I've got the chains still in my office, keep 'em well oiled in case they're ever needed.... Right, off we go, and don't think of running off, now, it'll be worse for you if you do."
"Slimy git" Celeste mutters and Ron choked on a chuckle.
"Is that you, Filch? Hurry up, I want ter get started."
"I suppose you think you'll be enjoying yourself with that oaf? Well, think again, boy -- it's into the forest you're going and I'm much mistaken if you'll all come out in one piece." Filch sneered and Celeste realized everyone might've shown a look of relief and delight on their faces.
"The forest?" Malfoy repeated, and he didn't sound quite as cool as usual. "We can't go in there at night -- there's all sorts of things in there -- werewolves, I heard."
"Werewolves? They aren't so bad" Celeste scoffs as she turned sour at the thought of Malfoy describing werewolves as terrible creatures.
"My father says they're ruthless creatures, doesn't deserve to walk these grounds." Malfoy says "Your kind too"
"Don't deserve to walk these ground?!" Celeste raised her voice. "I'll tell you that the only person who doesn't deserve to walk these ground is y-"
"Shut your mouths!" Filch snaps "Should've worried about werewolves before getting into trouble"
"Abou' time," Hagrid says. "I bin waitin' fer half an hour already. All right, Harry, Celeste, Ron, Hermione?"
"I shouldn't be too friendly to them, Hagrid," Filch said coldly, they're here to be punished, after all."
"That's why yer late, is it?" Hagrid arch his eyebrow "Bin lecturin' them, eh? 'Snot your place ter do that. Yeh've done yer bit, I'll take over from here."
"I'll be back at dawn," Filch sneers, "for what's left of them," he added nastily, and he turned and started back toward the castle.
"I'm not going in that forest" Malfoy says and Celeste grins at the fear in his voice before slightly slapping herself because she thought that was too mean
"Yeh are if yeh want ter stay at Hogwarts," Hagrid snaps. "Yeh've done wrong an' now yehve got ter pay fer it."
"But this is servant stuff, it's not for students to do. I thought we'd be copying lines or something, if my father knew I was doing this, he'd-" Celeste scoffs before crossing her arms at Malfoy
"-tell yer that's how it is at Hogwarts," Hagrid growled. "Copyin' lines! What good's that ter anyone? Yeh'll do summat useful or Yeh'll get out. If yeh think yer father'd rather you were expelled, then get back off ter the castle an' pack. Go on"'
Celeste stayed near Ron and Hermione as they all made their way into the forest after Hagrid told them to follow him. Celeste looked around in an almost dazed expression as she grinned at the small tiny creatures around the area.
Celeste, Harry and Hermione followed Hagrid to the left path as Ron begrudgingly took the right path with Malfoy and Fang.
She looked around before recognizing a silver-blue like substance falling from the trees and Celeste cringed as she saw Hagrid look around worriedly.
"Could a werewolf be killing unicorns?" Harry asks and Celeste glared at Harry.
"Werewolves are only dangerous to humans who disturb them when they transformed" Celeste says quite harshly and Hermione looked at her in a confused state.
"Werewolves can't kill unicorns that fast enough" Hagrid says glancing slightly at Celeste "It's not easy ter catch a unicorn, they're powerful magic creatures. I never knew one ter be hurt before."
Celeste looked over Hermione before slightly smiling at her and grabbing her hand and the latter gripped it tightly before going fully over to Celeste and grabbing her cloak furiously.
"It'll be fine Mione" She whispered before they passed by more trees and heard some running waters of a river that must've been nearby.
"You all right, Hermione?" Hagrid whispered. "Don' worry, it can't've gone far if it's this badly hurt, an' then we'll be able ter -- GET BEHIND THAT TREE!"
Hagrid grabbed Harry and Celeste which led to Hermione gettin dragged on since she was still gripping Celeste's cloak tightly.
There were some slithering sounds by the fallen leaves and Celeste arched her eyebrows as Hagrid's eyes squinted over the area before looking away as the sound drifted off.
"I knew it, " he murmured. "There's summat in here that shouldn' be."
"A werewolf?" Harry suggested.
"Stop saying it's a werewolf!" Celeste whispered furiously as she angrily smacked Harry's arm and the boy looked at her with a bewildered expression.
"Werewolves are still people! They aren't supposed to be in this forest" She sneered
"That wasn' no werewolf an' it wasn' no unicorn, neither," said Hagrid grimly. "Right, follow me, but careful, now."
They slowly followed the sound and they heard movement and there Celeste knew that something was definitely there.
"Who's there?" Hagrid called. "Show yerself -- I'm armed!"
And into the clearing came -- was it a centaur? Celeste realized that these were the half-human-half-horse creatures that she read about. To the waist, a man, with red hair and beard, but below that was a horse's gleaming chestnut body with a long, reddish tail.
"Beautiful" Celeste muttered before slowly getting out as she saw Hagrid sigh in relief.
"Ronan?" Celeste asks and everyone's jaw dropped at the girl who seemed to recognize the centaur. She walked over to the Centaur with a grin as the latter smiled back.
"Nice to be seeing you again Celeste" He says softly and Hermione almost fainted.
"How do you guys know each-other?" Hagrid asks as he went over to the centaur and shaked his hand.
"Celeste here has been venturing to the forest sometimes at night and one time when she was petting a unicorn she saw me" Ronan says "Really friendly with everyone, just like her mother"
Hagrd shot Celeste a glare. "How did you get past-"
Hagrid saw a twinkle in her eyes and he decided to not question it.
"How are yeh Ronan?"
"It's been strange" He says in a sorrowful voice "Were you going to shoot me Hagrid?"
"Can't be too careful, Ronan," said Hagrid, patting his crossbow. "There's summat bad loose in this forest.
"This is Harry Potter an' Hermione Granger by the way, as i' seems as if you already know Celeste 'ere" Hagrid says showing the other two students "He's a centaur"
"We'd noticed," said Hermione faintly.
"Good evening," said Ronan. "Students, are you? And do you learn much, up at the school? Celeste has says that she doesn't really get the gist of everything there"
"A bit," said Hermione timidly.
"A bit. Well, that's something." Ronan sighed and Celeste giggled a bit "Mars is bright tonight"
"Yeah," said Hagrid, glancing up, too. "Listen, I'm glad we've run inter yeh, Ronan, 'cause there's a unicorn bin hurt -- you seen anythin'?"
Ronan didn't answer immediately. He stared unblinkingly upward, then sighed again.
"Always the innocent are the first victims," he said. "So it has been for ages past, so it is now."
"Yeah," Hagrid nods "but have yeh seen anythin', Ronan? Anythin' unusual?"
"Mars is bright tonight," Ronan repeated, while Hagrid watched him impatiently. "Unusually bright."
"Yeah, but I was meanin' anythin' unusual a bit nearer home" Hagrid says "So yeh haven't noticed anythin' strange?"
Yet again, Ronan took a while to answer. "The forest hides many secrets."
A movement in the trees behind Ronan made Hagrid raise his bow again, but it was only a second centaur, black-haired and -bodied and wilder-looking than Ronan. Celeste tilted her head before recognizing the centaur to be Bane, she met him as well.
"Hello Bane" Hagrid says and the centaur nodded.
"Good evening Hagrid" He says "Celeste"
Celeste smiled brightly at the centaur and everyone turned to her with a flabbergasted expression.
"What?" She asks and the centaurs let out a small chuckle.
"Well enough. Look, I've jus' bin askin' Ronan, you seen anythin' odd in here lately? There's a unicorn bin injured -- would yeh know anythin' about it?" Hagrid says turning back to Ban
Bane walked over to stand next to Ronan. He looked up at the sky and Celeste could already tell what his answer would be "Mars is bright tonight," he said simply.
"We've heard," Hagrid groaned slightly. "Well, if either of you do see anythin', let me know, won't yeh? We'll be off, then."
"Bye Bane! Bye Ronan!" Celeste waves as Hermione drags her away from the Centaurs who waved back at her.
"Now I don't know how you keep escapin' the castle, s'pecially with Filch guardin' it every night. Can' believe you went on and made frien's so easily." Hagrid says "But you gotta b' careful, nt everyone is as kind as them"
"Oh I know" Celeste mutters thinking back onto that spider that bit her the other day when she tried to pet it, thankfully she knew that it wasn't poisonous and it was just there.
"Are there many of them in here?" Hermione asks and Celeste shrugged
"I like talking to a lot of them" Celeste says as she fiddled with the fabric of her cloak.
"Oh, a fair few... Keep themselves to themselves mostly, but they're good enough about turnin' up if ever I want a word. They're deep, mind, centaurs... they know things... jus' don' let on much."
"D'you think that was a centaur we heard earlier?" said Harry.
"Did that sound like hooves to you? Nah, if yeh ask me, that was what's bin killin' the unicorns -- never heard anythin' like it before."
As they walked through the forest Celeste couldn't get rid of the feeling that she was being watched, she turned around every once in a while to see if she could catch anything.
Hermione visibly flinched and Celeste realized there were red sparks from the other path. The bushy-haired girl quickly grabbed Hagrid and told him about it.
"You two wait here!" Hagrid shouted. "Stay on the path, I'll come back for yeh!"
They heard him crashing away through the undergrowth. Celeste bit her lip in worry as she didn't know what was happening with the sound of dead leaves rustling rushing in their ears.
"You don't think they got hurt?" Hermione asks
"I don't care about Malfoy" Harry says and Celeste shrugged.
"But Ron is in there and I don't really want anything happening to him since we only got detention because Filch was being a git" Celeste explains and the other two nodded.
Hermione gripped back onto Celeste and the girl could feel her trembling.
Hagrid came back, fuming holding Malfoy and Ron. Turns out Malfoy pretended to see a spider and Ron in a panic, sent the spark up.
"We'll be lucky ter catch anythin' now, with the racket you two were makin'. Right, we're changin' groups -- Ron, you stay with me an' Hermione, Harry an' Celeste, you go with Fang an' this idiot. I'm sorry," Hagrid says before whispering to the Potters, "but he'll have a harder time frightenin' you, an' we've gotta get this done."
Harry, Celeste, Malfoy and Fang then came walking down the dark path. Celeste could feel Fang by her legs and saw that Malfoy was inching closer to her as every seconds passes in the wood.
"Stop-" She says as she grabbed Malfoy's cloak before all three of them with Fang saw a dead unicorn on the ground. Celeste's eyes wrinkled in pity as she frowned at the creature's fate. Celeste was about to take a step forward before they all heard a slithering sound by the bushes as a cloaked figure came from the.
It stalked towards the unicorn before dipping down and started to drink the blood from it.
"AAAAAAA'" Malfoy screamed as he tried pulling Celeste away with him and Fang but the girl bent down over to Harry as he crouched over in pain. She heard footsteps from behind her telling her that Malfoy had run away.
"God Damn Wuss" Celeste muttered before holding Harry's face, looking back and forth between the cloaked figure and Harry.
"Harry- Harry we got to get out of here" Celeste whispered trying to find something to help him get out of pain "Harry come on"
Celeste heard hooves behind her but she didn't have time to see as it jumped over her, striding straight to the cloaked figure. Harry was clutching his head in pain and Celeste tried to help him- but she couldn't realy do anything
She looked up and saw Firenze. "Firenze" She breathed.
"Celeste, is he okay?" The centaur asks, he had white-blonde hair and a palomino body. The centaur pulled Harry to his feet and Harry nodded.
"What was that?" Harry managed to ask but the centaur just looked at Harry's face with his astonishingly blue eyes, it lingered at his scar and Celeste stood there quite awkwardly.
"You are the Potter boy," he said before looking back to Celeste "You had better get back to Hagrid. The forest is not safe at this time -- especially for you two. Can you ride? It will be quicker this way."
Celeste didn't really want to ride the centaur since she knew it was considered quite strange but Harry went on right as Firenze bended his front legs slightly.
"It's fine- I can keep up" Celeste says softly and the centaur nodded as he saw the girl's leg slightly transform to look a bit like fox legs, giving the girl a small smile.
"My name is Firenze, like Celeste had mentioned" He says to Harry who nodded.
There were more hooves and gallops were heard from the other side of the clearing and there appeared to be Bane and Ronan. The two looked worriedly at Celeste before Bane looked astonished at Firenze as he had Harry on his back.
"Firenze!" Bane thundered. "What are you doing? You have a human on your back! Have you no shame? Are you a common mule?"
"Do you realize who this is?" Firenze asks. "This is the Potter boy. The quicker he leaves this forest, the better."
"What have you been telling him?" Bane growled and Celeste visibly shrinked before she turned into a small fox and went closer to Ronan who gave the girl a comforting smile "Remember, Firenze, we are sworn not to set ourselves against the heavens. Have we not read what is to come in the movements of the planets?"
Ronan pawed the ground nervously. "I'm sure Firenze thought he was acting for the best, " he said in his gloomy voice.
Bane kicked his back legs in anger. "For the best! What is that to do with us? Centaurs are concerned with what has been foretold! It is not our business to run around like donkeys after stray humans in our forest!"
Firenze suddenly reared on to his hind legs in anger, so that Harry had to grab his shoulders to stay on.
"Do you not see that unicorn?" Firenze bellowed at Bane. "Do you not understand why it was killed? Or have the planets not let you in on that secret? I set myself against what is lurking in this forest, Bane, yes, with humans alongside me if I must."
Firenze then scurried off with Harry clutching on as best he could, they plunged off into the trees, leaving Ronan, Celeste and Bane there
"Go Celeste" Bane gruffed and the small white fox quickly went after the horse, she was losing speed so she turned into Peregrin Falcon. She was able to fly above the centaur and Harry, Firenze glanced at the falcon and recognized it to be Celeste.
Harry started asking questions and Firenze slowed down giving Celeste the chance to transform back as he came to a stop.
"Harry Potter, do you know what unicorn blood is used -for?" He asks as he turned to Celeste, knowing she probably read about this all before when reading her Newt Scamander books
"No," Harry says and Celeste slightly groaned "We've only used the horn and tail hair in Potions."
"That is because it is a monstrous thing, to slay a unicorn," Firenze explains "Only one who has nothing to lose, and everything to gain, would commit such a crime. The blood of a unicorn will keep you alive, even if you are an inch from death, but at a terrible price. You have slain something pure and defenseless to save yourself, and you will have but a half-life, a cursed life, from the moment the blood touches your lips."
"But who would be that desperate? If you're going to be cursed forever, deaths better, isn't it?" Harry asks
"It is," Firenze agreed, "unless all you need is to stay alive long enough to drink something else -- something that will bring you back to full strength and power -- something that will mean you can never die. Mr. Potter, Celeste, do you know what is hidden in the school at this very moment?"
"The Sorcerer's Stone! Of course -- the Elixir of Life! But I don't understand who --" Harry babbled as Celeste kept quiet before crouching down by some flowers.
"Can ou think of nobody wanting to return back? Who has clung onto life, waiting for the time to be back?" Firenze asks and Celeste looked up immediately. "Some says he died, codswallop in my opinion, didn't think he had enough human left in him to do that"
"Do you mean-" Harry started
"It can't be" Celeste continued.
"Vol-"
"CELESTE! HARRY!" Hermione cried before jumping onto Celeste sending her to the ground with Hagrid huffing, following her.
"We're fine" Celeste mumbled "The unicorn is there, dead though"
"This is where I leave you" Firenze says and Harry slid off of his back. "You guys are safe now"
Celeste gave a small smile to Firenze and he returned one "Good luck Celeste, Harry Potter"
"The planets have been read wrong before, even by centaurs. These are one of the times I wish it would happen" Firenze says before galloping away.
The three kids hurriedly ran over to the common room, where Ron was laying sleeping like a baby in the dark area before Celeste shook him awake and the ginger woke up shouting quidditch fouls.
They all rambled about what happened and Ron could only stare with his mouth open.
"Snape wants the stone for Voldemort... and Voldemort's waiting in the forest... and all this time we thought Snape just wanted to get rich...."
"Stop saying the name!" Ron whispered, terrifies.
"Firenze saved me and Celeste, but he shouldn't have done so.... Bane was furious... he was talking about interfering with what the planets say is going to happen.... They must show that Voldemort's coming back.... Bane thinks Firenze should have let Voldemort kill me.... I suppose that's written in the stars as well."
"Will you stop saying the name!" Ron hissed.
"Bane isn't usually like this" Celeste mumbled
"So all I've got to wait for now is Snape to steal the Stone," Harry continued ignoring Ron's plead "then Voldemort will be able to come and finish me off... Well, I suppose Bane'll be happy."
"Harry, Bane isn't always this way" Celeste says "I don't think you noticed but everyone's been on edge lately and I'm pretty sure he's just scared for the centaurs, it isn't honorable that Firenze had you on his back. That's why I chose to run instead"
"How did you even keep up with us?" Harry asks "I didn't here your footsteps but you just appeared besides us when Firenze stopped to tell us things"
Celeste sighed before Hermione looked up.
"Everyone's been saying that You-Know-Who is only afraid of Dumbledore, with Dumbledore around he wouldn't be able to catch you" Hermione says "Anyway, who says the centaurs are right? It sounds like fortune-telling to me, and Professor McGonagall says that's a very imprecise branch of magic."
"Hermione, they basically live in the skies" Celeste says and they all shrugged before going to bed, the thought of Voldemort coming back lingered in Celeste's mind to the point where she didn't realize that the ring on her finger was turning into a light shade of gold from the silvery color it usually is.