Divining Two Worlds

Conversation and centaurs

Even before Asteria could assume the coast was clear, footsteps echoed in the hall behind the door and two voices that sounded like McGonagall and Dumbledores carried a conversation from the bench in front of the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy.

'An unspeakable, Albus' McGonagall said 'An unspeakable that's shared their finds to You-Know-Who'

'Yes' Dumbledore spoke gravelly 'The infiltration in the ministry is worser than you think. Everad has overheard snatches conversations of another spy from the Magical creatures department'

'Having a portrait hung in the Ministry Headquaters is handy I suppose, but what if they're to find out?'

'Everad's has more than enough dexterity to suffice.As well as an unwavering loyalty for what's best for the school ,a deeply honorable trait'

Death eaters Asteria thought.She had never assumed the problem would be that bad, but form what the proffesors were saying, the Ministry had done an evident job of covering any dirt to their name.But how longer before the stain is too messy to clean?

She felt a tap on her shoulder and whipped around seeing Delphi.Her face was grave ,but her eyebrows were furrowed.

'What was that creature?' Asteria's heart sank.She must lie and as swift and convincing as possible.

'I dunno' she fibbed 'Perhaps some type of troll'.Asteria shrugged.

Delphi didn't look satisfied with the answer but didn't press her on it.

'Well, what's this place then' she said looking at the terrace in curiosity.

'The room of requirement' Asteria started, her face showing the faintess relief. Finally a question she could answer truthfully. 'Late at night I woke in the common room to a house elf ,cleaning.I asked him about the vomit stain on his rag, and he said it was from hospitalizing his friend that got drunk on butterbeer, in this place, the come and go room'

'So what does it do?'

'It appears at whatever you need, anything you can imagine on'

'So whatever you require, doesn't that make it the room of requirement'

'I guess' Asteria said before a sudden thought made her break into a cold sweat. 

'Damn, I forgot. The fat lady said she'll tattle on me if i'm a minute late then what we agreed on'

'Can't you do her a favor?'

'I'm already polishing her frame for a month ,that's suspicious to the proffesors enough'

Before going out to research her dad like usual, the Fat Lady had pulled her into a conversation, saying she could sleep on the doorstep for it had been the fifth night Asteria had woken her up at two in the morning.

Delphi's face lit up 'I have an idea' 

She closed her eyes and squinted.The metal railings drew back like curtains into the wall and a flight of sturdy spiraling stairs reached the ground.

'Nice!'

They descended.

'Hey, why were you up so late anyways?' Delphi asked.

'Just couldn't put a book down.What about you?'

'Same as you' Delphi said.

At last they reached the dewy grass with twenty strikes of Delphi's watch to spare.The staircase uncoiled into the wall till no trace could be found by even the keenest of eyes.

Asteria's stiff shoulders relaxed.

'Come on just getting back will take ten minutes' Delphi said as Asteria followed her.She almost collided with Delphi ,when she halted suddenly.

'Woah' Asteria said trying to regain her balance.

Finally she found the source of Delphi's disturbance.On the edge of the Forbidden forest was a centaur, a bag of wickedly sharp arrows hung across his back, a bow in his hands.

'Asteria Foxglove' the half palamino centaur said 'The stars have predicted your arrival'

'My arrival?' Asteria asked wondering how he knew her name.

She tried her best not to be rude, centaurs were easily offended and inviting humans into their terriotory was unheard of and meant something was very important and very wrong.Then he said something in greek, and the fact Asteria could even tell was wired, but she could understand it perfectly.'Child of Hecate, seek the beginning of your fate.'

But there was something more, the vioce in the back of her head that had informed her the spell that drover away the vicious bird was alive yet again.Now stronger and a familarity struck Asteria.

She started to move towards the wood.Delphi grabbed her hand.

'Are you mad?' she asked.

 Asteria yanked it from her clutches and followed the swishing tail of the centaur who had began to head further in.She walked and walked through muck and trees, as ancient as the castle itself.Soon they reached a almost perfectly round clearing.Asteria could feel the magic buzzing from the dewy grass to the air.

Soon more centaurs surrounded them.All scanning at the night's sky, with a look in their eyes, knowledge that could make grown adults go mad.A centaur with a wrinkled complexion and grey hair stepped from the herd, even his horse half looking old.A wisp of silver clung to his chin, he clutched a more beaten and war worn bow in his calloused hands.

'Are we sure she's the one?' one of the centaur asked.

'There is only one way to truly know'

He turned his back to Asteria.

'Bring in the monster'

Asteria tensed ,then the night roar with the sincranzing hissing of a snake, the fiery breath of a dragon and the bleat of a goat.It took five strong centaurs to tame the Chimera.

Then it made sense, they wanted her to prove herself, she had to defeat the beast.