A/N: Okay before I start, can I just ask whether any of you read the latest book, House of Hades? IT'S BLOODY BRILLIANT. Except for one thing *cough cough*. I am really starting to regret writing in Nico's POV because that changes EVERYTHING. I have now learned my lesson to not write in one's POV where I am not familiar with that character. Pffft. No worries, I'm going back to change everything about Nico when this book is done and ready to be edited. You guys who have read the book, you know what I'm talking about don't you? Don't spoiler for those who haven't read it! ;)

*Not edited*

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Nico’s POV

“I wonder how Hagrid’s doing. I hope he’s okay,” Grover said quietly as we trudged through the forest.

“I think he’ll be fine. He’s sure to be heading to the Order,” I answered before muttering sullenly, “if only he hadn’t left us Grawp though.”

“Grawp’s not that bad…” Grover defended him, but he sounded uncertain and fearful, and his voice trailed off into silence.

We continued trekking our way into the forest without another word to each other. Tyson was back in the Gryffindor dormitory, doing gods-know-what and when we had left, the rest of the group had just about finished sitting for their final exam, History of Magic. They should be joining us soon as we had left only about three minutes ago. My thoughts couldn’t help but wander back to Percy, my hands unconsciously clenching into fists. No matter how much I wish I could just forget, I still worried for him and it was killing me that I don’t know what happened. They weren’t dead; that was the only thing I knew. It was now June, a month or so since Fred and George had left so it had been about two months since they had went missing.

The only reason why we were going to see Grawp, Hagrid’s half brother of a giant, was because Hagrid himself wasn’t around to do that. Hagrid had been chased off by that evil hag of a toad, Umbridge the night before when he refused to go quietly. He had gotten the sack from her and everybody knew it was a fluke because, okay, maybe he wasn’t exactly the world’s greatest teacher but he knew his stuff and he was only fired because Umbridge didn’t like half-breeds.

“Hey, are you sure the centaurs wouldn’t come and chase us off?” Grover suddenly asked in a low voice, breaking the silence between us.

“Nah, they were only after Hagrid because he helped out Firenze. We’re ‘innocents’ as they kindly put it, so they wouldn’t hurt us,” I said, pushing back some shrubbery as twigs snapped under my feet. The centaurs had ambushed Hagrid the last time they were here but didn’t attack only because Hermione and Harry had been with him and they were apparently ‘innocents’.

We walked for another three more minutes before Grover spoke up again, sounding even more uncertain than before. “Uh, are you sure we’re going the right way?”

I stopped in my tracks, turning around to stare at him. “I thought you were leading the way?”

“No, I thought you knew where you were going!” Grover retorted, slight panic evident in his tone.

“Well, I was following you all this while!”

“Great,” Grover groaned. “Just great. We’re probably lost and now we have to retrace back to the start.”

“Well, how were we supposed to know?” I muttered irritably, turning back on my heels and beginning to go back the way we came. “Hagrid only led Harry and Hermione through here. When they asked us to go accompany Grawp, I thought they told you how and where were we supposed to go.”

“At least we’ll meet Harry and the others back at the start. Their exam was nearly over when we left and they said they would meet up with us here in the forest,” he said unconvincingly.

“Yeah, unless they’re already on the way to Grawp. We’ll take around ten minutes to get back there and by the time we do that, they’ll be gone,” I grumbled, not really in the mood.

Grover just sighed and gave up on talking to me. Once again, it was quiet, something I was used to. Internally, I sighed in relief. I wasn’t a people person and I had been alone for so long that it was like second nature to me.

As we were making our way back, it felt as though nothing could break the peace. The trees were still plenty around us but it looked as though they were clearing up a little. I didn’t know how close we were to reaching back to the start but it doesn’t look like we were reaching anytime soon. The atmosphere was quiet and serene but somehow I couldn’t wait to get out of the forest. I wasn’t someone who was scared easily but the Forbidden Forest was a whole new level of creepy altogether, even for someone like me. Then I frowned. “Do you hear something?” I said quietly to Grover, who was just right next to me.

“No, what are you talking about?” Grover whispered back as I slowed down my pace and began treading cautiously instead.

“How much further?” A voice cried angrily in the distance.

“Strange,” Grover murmured. “That sounded just like Umbridge but what’s she doing here in the forest?”

“Not far now!” Another voice shouted back.

“Isn’t that Hermione?” I hissed. I crept forward until I reached a tree at the edge of a dim, dark clearing. There, I scrambled up it, squinting out to see what was going on. My eyes widened as three figures appeared out of the other side, making a huge racket.

“That’s Harry, Hermione and Umbridge,” Grover exclaimed quietly, climbing up onto the branch next to me. “What are they doing here? And together too.”

“Just a little bit – “ Hermione was shouting just as an arrow whistled through the air and landed with a thud over her head. Grover tensed, about to stand up and dash over to her when I threw out a hand and stopped him, giving him a warning look. Sounds of thundering hooves grew louder and louder and the Forest trembled under our feet. I wanted to snort at the sight of a terrified Umbridge using Harry as some sort of a shield when around fifty

centaurs burst into the clearing, emerging on all sides with their bows raised and loaded, pointing at the trio in the middle. Keeping silent, I peered down from where we were hiding and saw a few centaurs standing below, gazing straight in the clearing, having not notice us.

I focused my sight back on the three people at the centre of everybody’s attention just in time to see Harry wrenching himself free from Umbridge’s grip. Hermione was wearing a small triumphant smile on her face while Umbridge whimpered behind the both of them.

“Who are you?” A chestnut-bodied centaur walked out of the circle, his bow raised like the others. Harry had warned us about him, he was the centaur who had wanted to attack Hagrid the last round, Magorian I think was his name. He spoke up again, roughly, “I asked you who are you, human.”

“I am Dolores Umbridge!” she declared in a high-pitched voice, sounding terrified. “Senior Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic and Headmistress and High Inquisitor of Hogwarts.”

“You are from the Ministry of Magic?” Magorian asked. The centaurs didn’t sound pleased to hear that; they began shifting around restlessly.

“That’s right!” Umbridge said, her tone pitched even higher now. “So be very careful! By the laws laid down by the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, any attack by half-breeds such as yourselves on a human –“

“What did you call us?” A wild-looking black centaur interrupted her, sounding furious as a great deal of angry muttering and tightening bowstrings started up.

“Don’t call them that!” Hermione said angrily but Umbridge did not appear to have heard her.

She pointed her shaking wand at Magorian and continued, “Law Fifteen ‘B’ states clearly that ‘any attack by a magical creature who is deemed to have near-human intelligence, and therefore considered responsible for its actions –‘”

“Near-human intelligence?” Magorian repeated as the centaurs began roaring in fury and pawing the ground. “We consider that a great insult, human! Our intelligence, thankfully, far outstrips your own.”

“What are you doing in our Forest?” yet another hard-faced grey centaur bellowed. “Why are you here?”

“Your Forest?” Umbridge shrieked, sounding indignant now, although she was still shaking with fright. “I would remind you that you live here only because the Ministry of Magic permits you certain areas of land –“

An arrow flew so close to her head that it caught at her head in passing. She let out a ear-splitting scream and threw her hands over her head, while some centaurs bellowed their approval, others laughing raucously. It was extremely unnerving and I couldn’t help fidgeting nervously for a second.

“Whose Forest is it now, human?” the same black centaur bellowed.

“Filthy half-breeds!” Umbridge screamed. “Beasts! Uncontrolled animals!”

“Be quiet!” Hermione shouted but it was too late: Umbridge pointed her wand at Magorian and screamed, “Incarcerous!”

Ropes flew out of her wand, wrapping themselves tightly around the centaurs torso and trapping his arms. He gave a cry of rage and reared on his hind legs, attempting to free himself, while the other centaurs charged.

I forgot everything and sat straight up, my hands clenching around my sword. Grover, once again, was tense against me but we did nothing yet, only staring intensely at the scene unfolding in front of us. We saw Harry grabbed Hermione and pulled her to the ground, face down on the Forest floor as the centaurs leapt over them and headed straight for Umbridge instead.

“Nooooo!” Umbridge shrieked. “Noooooo … I am Senior Undersecretary … you cannot – Unhand me, you animals … nooooo!”

There was a flash or red light before a loud scream pierced the air. Umbridge was seized from behind by the black centaur and lifted high in the air, wriggling and yelling. Her wand fell from her hand to the ground and a centaur’s hoof broke it in half.

“Now!” Someone roared and two centaurs dragged both Harry and Hermione to their feet. Umbridge was borne away through the trees, screaming all the way till her voice faded away completely.

“And these?” the grey centaur holding Hermione asked.

“They are young,” another with a slow, doleful voice replied from behind Harry. “We do not attack foals.”

“They brought her here, Ronan,” the centaur holding Harry replied. “And they are not so young … he is nearing manhood, this one.” He shook Harry as he spoke.

“Please,” Hermione said breathlessly. “Please, don’t attack us; we don’t think like her, we aren’t Ministry of Magic employees! We only came in here because we hoped you’d drive her off for us.”

The look on the grey centaur’s face darkened dramatically as she said this and immediately, I knew it was the wrong thing to say. He threw back his head, his back legs stamping furiously and bellowed,” You see, Ronan? They already have the arrogance of their kind! So we were to do your dirty work, were we, human girl? We were to act as your servants, drive away your enemies like obedient hounds?”

“No!” Hermione exclaimed in a horror-struck squeak. “Please – I didn’t mean that! I just hoped you’d be able to – to help us –“

“We do not help humans!” the centaur holding Harry snarled, rearing a little. “We are a race apart and proud to be so. We will not permit you to walk from here, boasting that we did your bidding!”

“We’re not going to say anything like that!” Harry shouted. “We know you didn’t do what you did because we wanted to –“

Everybody ignored him and instead a bearded centaur towards the back of the crowd shouted, “They came here unasked, they must pay the consequences!”

There was a huge roar of approval and another shouted, “They can join the woman!”

“You said you didn’t hurt the innocent!” Hermione shouted, tears sliding down her face. “We haven’t done anything to hurt you, we haven’t used wands or threats, we just want to go back to school, please let us go back –“

“We are not at all like the traitor Firenze, human girl!” shouted the grey centaur, to more neighs of approval. “Perhaps you thought us pretty talking horses? We are an ancient people who will not stand wizard invasions and insults! We do not recognise your laws, we do not recognise your laws, we do not acknowledge your superiority, we are –“

They did not manage to finish whatever they were about to say because at that very moment, there was a huge crashing noise at the edge of the clearing, so loud that both me and Grover were startled to the point where we lost our balance and fell out of the tree, crashing right onto the ground.

Thankfully, the centaurs were too preoccupied with the source of the loud crashing sound to notice us but both Harry’s and Hermione’s eyes widened in shock when they saw us. “Nico? Grover?” Harry hissed from the ground. He and Hermione had been dropped when the centaurs’ hands reached for their bow and arrows.

“Hey guys,” Grover grinned weakly as we picked ourselves up from the ground.

Harry hurried over to Hermione just as two thick trees trunk parted and a monstrous form appeared in the gap. Stammering in shock, I stumbled backwards over to the two, my eyes never leaving the huge creature. Grover was whimpering in fear beside me as he practically ran over to them. “What is that?” I spluttered once we had reached them.

“Not what, who,” Hermione corrected, her voice shaky. “That’s Grawp, Hagrid’s half-brother.”

“That’s Grawp?” Grover choked out. “Oh thank gods we got lost.”

The centaurs had now all backed behind, all their bows aimed at his enormous greyish face, waiting to fire. Grawp’s lopsided mouth was gaping, his dull sludge-coloured eyes narrowed as he squinted down at the creatures at his feet. Broken ropes trailed from both ankles. He opened his mouth even wider and said, “Hagger.”

When nobody replied him, he repeated the same word, more insistently this time. “Hagger!”

“Get away from here, giant!” Magorian called up. “You are not welcome among us!”

The words didn’t seem to matter to the giant as he stooped even lower. The centaurs’ arms tensed when he bellowed, “HAGGER!”

Hermione suddenly led out a gasp. “Harry!” she whispered urgently to him. “I think he’s trying to say ‘Hagrid’!”

At that very moment, Grawp seemed to have caught sight of us, the only four humans in the sea of centaurs. He lowered his head even further and stared intently down. I could feel Hermione shaking beside me as Grawp opened his mouth wide open and said, in a deep, rumbling voice, “Hermy.”

“Goodness,” Hermione said faintly. “He – he remembered!”

“HERMY!” Grawp roared. “WHERE HAGGER?”

“I don’t know!” Hermione squealed, terrified. “I’m sorry, Grawp, I don’t know!”

“GRAWP WANT HAGGER!”

One of the giant’s massive hands reached down. Hermione let out a real scream, ran a few steps backwards and fell over. However, it was exactly what the centaurs had been waiting for. Grawp’s outstretched fingers were only a foot from us when fifty arrows soared through the air and peppered the giant’s face, causing him to howl with pain and rage and straighten up, rubbing his face with his enormous hands, breaking off the arrow shafts but forcing the arrowheads in still deeper.

He yelled and stamped his feet while the centaurs scattered out of the way. Grawp’s blood showered everybody in pebble-sized droplets and all of us immediately scrambled out of the way while the centaurs were all distracted. When we looked back, Grawp was snatching blindly at the centaurs with blood running down his face. The centaurs themselves were retreating in disorder, galloping away. Grawp gave a huge roar of fury and followed them, smashing trees aside.

“Oh no,” Hermione said, quaking. “Oh, that was horrible. And he might kill them all.”

“I’m not that fussed, to be honest,” Harry said bitterly.

As we walked further out of the forest, Harry spat angrily at Hermione. “Smart plan. Really smart plan. Where do we go from here?”

“We need to get back from the castle,” Hermione said faintly.

“By the time we’ve done that, Sirius’ll probably be dead!” Harry snarled, kicking at a nearby tree. I exchanged a confused glance with Grover before he spoke up.

“Uh, what’s going on?”

Hermione explained the whole story, about how Harry had a dream or a sort of vision that Sirius was being held captive by Voldemort in the Ministry of Magic, while Harry fumed by the side. He wanted to go save him right now but we had no way of getting there.

“Well, we can’t do anything without wands,” Hermione said hopelessly, turning back to Harry and resuming their conversation. “Anyway, Harry, how exactly were you planning to get all the way to London?”

“Yeah, we were just wondering that,” a familiar voice said from behind us.

All of us immediately whirled around to the source of the voices and peered through the trees.

Ron came into sight with Ginny, Neville, Tyson and Luna hurrying along behind him. All of them looked a little worse for wear, with the exception of Tyson – there were several long scratches running the length of Ginny’s cheek, a large purple lump was swelling above Neville’s right eye; Ron’s lip was bleeding profusely – but all were looking rather pleased with themselves.

“So,” Ron asked, pushing aside a low-hanging branch and handing Harry’s wand over to him. “Had any ideas?”

“How did you get away?” Harry asked, sounding amazed as he grabbed his wand.

“Couple of Stunners, a Disarming Charm, Neville brought off a really nice little Impediment Jinx,” Ron said dismissively, handing over Hermione’s wand too. “But Ginny was the best, she got Malfoy – Bat Bogey Hex – it was superb, his whole face was covered in the great flapping things. Anyway, we saw you out of the window heading into the Forest and followed. Tyson saw us and followed.  What’ve you done with Umbridge?”

“She got carried away,” I said. “By a herd of centaurs.”

“And they left you behind?” Ginny asked, astonished.

“No, they got chased off by Grawp,” Grover said.

“Who’s Grawp?” Luna asked, sounding interested.

“Hagrid’s little bother,” Ron said promptly. “Anyway, never mind that now. Harry, what did you find out in the fire? Has You-Know-Who got Sirius or –?”

“Yes,” Harry said, wincing. “and I’m sure Sirius is still alive, but I can’t see how we’re going to get there to help him.”

At this, all of us fell silent, thinking hard. When I glanced around, everybody looked scared at what was about to come.

“Well, we’ll have to fly, won’t we?” Luna said, sounding matter-of-fact for the first time, or at least a tone of voice that seemed almost similar to it.

“Okay,” Harry answered irritably. “First of all, ‘we’ aren’t doing anything if you’re including yourself in that, and second of all, Ron’s the only one with a broomstick that isn’t being guarded by a security troll, so –“

“I’ve got a broom!” Ginny cut in.

“Yeah, but you’re not coming,” Ron shot back angrily.

“Excuse me, but I care what happens to Sirius as much as you do!” Ginny said.

“You’re too –“ Harry began to say, but Ginny interrupted once again. “I’m three years older than you were when you fought You-Know-Who over the Philosopher’s Stone, and it’s because of me that Malfoy’s stuck back in Umbridge’s office with giant flying bogies attacking him –“

“Yeah but –“

“We were all in the DA together,” Neville said quietly. “It was all supposed to be about fighting You-Know-Who, wasn’t it? And this is the first chance we’ve had to do something real – or was that all just a game or something?”

“No – of course it wasn’t – “Harry said impatiently.

“Then we should come too,” Neville said simply. “We want to help.”

“That’s right,” Luna agreed, smiling happily.

Harry glanced at Ron then, looking frustrated.

“Well, it doesn’t matter anyway,” Harry scowled. “because we still don’t know how to get there.”

“I thought we’d settled that,” Luna said calmly. “We’re flying!”

“Look,” Ron said, sounding as though he was controlling his own temper. “you might be able to fly without a broomstick but the rest of us can’t sprout wings whenever we –“

“There are ways of flying other than with broomsticks,” Luna said serenely.

“I s’pose we’re going to ride on the back of the Kacky Snorgle or whatever it is?” Ron demanded.

“The Crumple-Horned Snorkack can’t fly,” Luna answered in a dignified voice. “But they can, and Hagrid says they’re very good at finding places their riders are looking for.”

All of us immediately whirled around. There, standing between two trees with eyes gleaming eerily, stood two Thestrals, watching everybody silently. Tyson clapped happily. “Horsies!” he said gleefully.

“Yes!” Harry whispered, walking over towards them. He stretched out his hand eagerly and patted the nearest one’s neck.

“Is it those mad horse things?” Ron asked uncertainly, staring at Harry’s left. “Those ones you can’t see unless you’ve watched someone snuff it?”

“Yeah,” Harry replied.

“How many?”

“Just two.”

“Well, we need three,” Hermione said.

“Four, Hermione,” Ginny said firmly.

“I think there are eight of us, actually,” Luna put in calmly.

“Don’t be stupid, we can’t all go!” Harry burst out. “Look, you three –“ he pointed to Neville, Ginny and Luna, “you’re not involved in this, you’re not –“

Everybody burst into more protests. Grover was frowning, staring at the Thestrals uncertainly.

“Okay, fine, it’s your choice,” Harry finally said curtly, “but unless we can find more Thestrals you’re not going to be able –“

“Oh, more of them will come,” Ginny said confidently, squinting in the wrong direction as if to notice the Thestrals.

“What makes you think that?”

“Because, in case you hadn’t noticed, you and Hermione are both covered in blood and we know Hagrid lures Threstrals with raw meat. That’s probably why these two turned up in the first place,” Ginny explained coolly.

“Okay, then,” Harry said, suddenly brightening up. “Ron and I will take these two and go ahead, and Hermione can stay here with you three, and she’ll attract more Thestrals –“

“I’m not staying behind!” Hermione said furiously.

“There’s no need,” Luna said, smiling. “Look, here come more now … you two must really smell …”

I turned around. There were now no fewer than eight or nine Thestrals picking their way through the trees. Harry seemed to have given up for he said angrily, “All right, pick one and get on, then.”

As I strode over to one of the Thestrals, ready to hop on, Grover suddenly gave a loud groan. “Gods, I’ve been so stupid!”

Everybody whirled towards him, Neville halfway on his own Thestral with Luna assisting by the side. “What?” Harry asked impatiently, already on his own.

“I know how to contact Percy! Gods why didn’t I think of this before,” Grover said, furious with himself as he shut his eyes and a concentrated look appear on his face.

“What –?” Ron started to ask but Tyler interrupted him.

“Brother’s coming back? For real?” he asked excitedly.

“Shh,” I hushed both of them, staring at Grover.

“I’ve got a connection with Percy. That’s how he woke me up before the war, remember Nico?” Grover murmured, still focused.

“Oh yeah,” I said softly, glancing away. It had only been the two of us that time.

There were a few minutes of silence where Harry and the others fidgeted anxiously before Grover suddenly snapped his eyes wide open, his expression wide and joyful.

“I got through!”