Chapter Twenty-One: One of Chiron's So Called Friends
Leo's P.O.V.

LET'S JUST SAY Divination was different. Instead of trudging up to the North Tower, the three of us arrived at Classroom Eleven early.

"So do you really think he knows Chiron?" Piper asks.

She had already sent a letter to Chiron three days previously, but no answer had returned yet. We would've asked Firenze himself, if it weren't for the fact that he seemed to be unlocatable ever since he had arrived at the school.

"I would assume so. I mean at the beginning of the quest don't you remember Chiron saying, 'I have a few friends in England that sense a war coming.' It's got to be him."

"Well aren't there other centaurs in the forest?" I asked.

Piper rolled her eyes, "He used to live with the other centaurs."

"I know but-"

"Be quiet," said Nico suddenly. "Someone's coming."

He was right. Three Slytherins had just walked around the corner. Then it occurred to me, it was that Malfoy boy and his two cronies; Crabbe and Goyle. But the weirdest thing was... I didn't even remember him taking Divination.

"What're you doing here, Malfoy?" Nico asked him.

"Speak for yourself, Di Angelo. What are you doing here so early?"

"What are you doing here at all?" Piper asks, "You don't even take this class."

"You're right, this is our free period. I just thought I'd like to check out the class. More specifically the stupid centaur."

"What do you even care about Firenze?" I asked him.

"He's the third filthy halfbreed Dumbledore's hired in the last three years. First the werewolf and the giant, now a centaur! The Prophet's right, he really is losing his marbles."

I don't know what set me off. But if I had to guess, it's probably what he said about 'filthy halfbreeds'. I surge forward past the two huge buffoons he had, my hand on fire. I had barely singed his robes when Piper cried out, "Stop!"

I extinguished my my hand, while Draco was still standing there, cloak on fire. Crabbe and Goyle looked around the empty corridor as if they weren't really sure what just happened.

"Aguamenti," Piper said with a wave of her wand and Draco was doused with water head to toe.

The three Slytherins unfroze at once. Crabbe and Goyle ran off in opposite directions while Draco said through clenched teeth, "You are so going to pay for that, Valdez."

He then strode off after Goyle towards the Great Hall. He left us standing there in a few seconds worth of awkward silence.

"Did I really just-"

"Yeah." Piper out her head down.

"Do you think he noticed that I didn't use my wand-"

"Doubt it."

"Do you think he's going to tell-"

"He's a coward, but not a complete fool."

"When is this stupid class going to-"

"I would like to think that my class is not stupid," said a voice behind me. Along with Piper, I had nearly jumped.

The door to the classroom had opened, with Firenze standing in the doorway. Behind him, I couldn't tell whether the classroom was actually part of the school or a whole other dimension. The floor was mossy and trees were growing out of it, the branches covered the windows and the ceilings. As leaves covered the windows, it made the room have a green light. It was almost like a forest.

"Er-" Piper looked up Firenze, "We don't think your class is stupid. It's a really great subject."

"You think less of the art of Divination, just as I would think so. After Professor Trelawney and her human fortune telling."

"See," I say to Piper, "he gets it."

Piper slapped my arm, "Leo!"

"Stop wasting time," Nico says. "Before anyway else arrives."

"Yes," said Firenze. "I thought you might be them. On the quest for Chiron. Come on in."

The three of us moved past the door, sitting on the floor that was webbed with moss. Piper was first to speak.

"How'd you-"

"The accent," Firenze smiled. "It cannot be more obvious that you are American."

"Alright. So you know Chiron. You're one of his 'friends' that he mentioned."

"I've never personally met Chiron. Most of my life has been spent in the forest. Occasionally he would write to my herd, ask about the school. But that was before I was exiled. I am now all alone."

"All alone?" Piper asked, "What do you mean?"

"Now that I have agreed to work for Professor Dumbledore and teach Divination, the others in the forest see it as a betrayal of our kind."

"How can that-"

Piper was cut off as two people walked into the classroom.

"Whoa," gasped Dean as he took in the forest interior.

Firenze turned away from us and smiled down at Dean and Seamus, who had just came from the Great Hall.

"I was just telling your classmates-" he pointed at us "-about this classroom. It is an imitation of my natural habitat of the Forbidden Forest. Professor Dumbledore has arranged it for us, thankfully. Though I am afraid there are no desks, so feel free to sit down on the floor."

He then turned back at us once more and winked.

* * *

Divination had continued steadily from then. Yes, it was stupid. But it was no better than Trelawney's class.

Soon March had passed and it felt as if I was plopped in the middle of April. The heat for the stupid OWLs was higher than ever. At this point, I was surprised myself that I hadn't had a nervous breakdown. But it was almost a week before Easter Holidays, which meant that we would be heading back to Camp Halfblood to give an update on the quest.

It also meant I got to see Calypso again, which was terrific. I was barely able to IM her anymore, it was an occasion when I did.

But while I was still waiting for the holiday, we were still attending the D.A. Meetings. We had started working on those Patronus things that Harry kept on mentioning. Apparently it was a type of Charm, that was different for each person. A type of guardian that wards off evil or something like that.

"A powerful memory," said Harry, instructing them on how to do the charm. "The happiest you can remember. Allow it to fill you up. Remember, a full body Patronus is the most difficult to produce. But shield forms can be equally useful against a variety of opponents."

They had tried a little more at that point, and only Hermione, a few Ravenclaw girls, and a Hufflepuff had managed it.

Harry tried to explain that producing the charm in the middle of a brightly lit room when they were not under attack was very different to producing it when approached by something like a dementor. Whatever that meant.

But I was still having trouble thinking of a happy memory. I was even surprised when Percy managed one before me, a stallion.

"It was our first real kiss," he said to Annabeth. "When Clarisse and the others threw us in the lake."

She laughed, then paused for a moment. Saying the words "Expecto Patronum" a silvery fox sprouted out of her wand. I didn't know what I was expecting with Annabeth, but I could really see the fox suiting her.

I can't but help get a little frustrated, not being able to think of anything. My time with Calypso on Ogygia; My best memories with my mother; being accepted at Camp Halfblood for the first time. Nothing. None of it worked.

But my frustration eased when the room steadily grew silent. Everyone seemed to be thinking the same thing: What was going on?

"Hi, Dobby!' said Harry. He was looking down at what appeared to be a pile of hats. But I knew that couldn't be right. Harry continued, "What are you- what's wrong?"

"Harry Potter, sir..." squeaked a small voice, and I was able to tell that it was not a pile of hats but a small creature that looked like a goblin or elf. "Harry Potter, sir... Dobby has come to warn you... but the house-elves have been warned not to tell...."

I almost jumped when 'Dobby' ran headfirst at the wall, but he jumped back cushioned by the ridiculous hats he was wearing.

"What's happened, Dobby?" Harry asked.

"Harry Potter... she... she...." Dobby stuttered.

"Who's 'she,' Dobby?" The creature slowly looked up at him, and I swear I saw horror in Harry's eyes. "Umbridge? Is she coming?"

"Yes, Harry Potter, yes!" The small creature howled.

Harry turned towards us quickly, "WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? RUN!"

A grabbed onto Piper and Nico as the exit was flooded. Everyone was scrambling in different directions. Was it possible to make it to the library without raising suspicion at this point? Before we could move, I realized something... Percy and Annabeth were nowhere to be seen.

Me: I do not own any of the characters. All characters either belong to Rick Riordan or J.K. Rowling.
Draco: What's Pigfarts?
Me: *snorts* Excuse me?
Draco:  I've been reading the comments on the first chapter- *pauses a moment  to let the fourth wall explode* -and everyone is talking about Pigfarts.  I seem to somehow be involved in this. So you must tell me now  otherwise, I guarantee that my father will hear about this.
Me: Draco.... You cannot have been more cliché, I applaud you.

8/21/15