UnExpected

Chapter 54

Trelawney was sacked. Firenze was now the professor of Divination, much to Umbridge's chagrin. Things with Draco were back to normal. And Spike was in fact still gracing the forest with his presence. A forest that had replicated part of itself, thanks to Dumbledore, in classroom eleven where Firenze was now teaching Divination.

No one knew what to expect on that first day with the centaur, and it was safe to say it had been very strange. The students had been shown the different meanings of the stars that graced their presence in the ceiling of the classroom as they lay back on the soft grass. They learned about burning sage and mallowsweet, and what the smoke patterns they emitted meant; symbols that could be interpreted to define certain fortunes. But most of all, they learned that not even centaurs, who had generations upon generations of practice, and had managed to unlock the secrets of the universe, can predict an exact future. By the end of it, the whole thing was by far the most interesting and strangest lesson they had ever had.

When the bell rang right outside the classroom door everyone jumped; having completely forgotten they were still inside the castle, and quite convinced that they really had been in the Forest. And they all looked slightly perplexed when they filed out.

Harry and Ron were on the point of following them when they heard Firenze call out, "Buffy Summers, a word, please." And they paused.

Upon entering the classroom at the beginning of the period Firenze had greeted Harry, and only Harry, to the surprise of many, that the boy-who-lived had met the centaur before today, but he did not greet Buffy. His blue eyes stayed true and firm, not once signaling that he knew the blonde student. Which was of course a lie.

Their first meeting had been skittish. She had been on one of her many nightly rounds when she came upon the surprised centaur. Firenze felt the natural predatory aura that surrounded Buffy and tensed. He watched her carefully with his wise eyes and assessed her intentions. It was part of the package, the dangerous sense she gave off to the magical creatures in this world. He had demanded in a calm voice what she was doing in the forest, and she replied casually, 'looking for demons and vampires to slay.' There wasn't really any point in lying to him. They would've bumped into each other sooner or later. Firenze was unsure of what she was telling him, but he would be blind if he had not noticed the severely diminished number of dark creatures that came upon the woodland. He let her be then but watched her through the trees. It took two more trips and a witness to Buffy slaying a demon that made Firenze believe her. After that a truce was formed. He told his brethren of her role in the forest, and although they did not fully trust her, as they never trusted most humans, they stayed out of her way for she was keeping the wooded areas free of dark creatures and therefore keeping them safe. Firenze and Buffy rarely came across on her hunting nights, only on the occasions when he sensed a particular evil that needed to be dealt with. But he did watch and learn certain aspects about the Slayer which was why he had requested for her to stay after class today.

Harry and Ron stopped and turned by the door, watching the centaur advancing a little toward Buffy. His blue eyes looked past her shoulder to the two of them and said, "This is of a private matter. I wish to speak with Buffy Summers alone. Please close the door upon your exit."

They were too overwhelmed by the surprise that if they were of clear mind, they might've felt almost slighted. Quietly confounded, Ron and Harry left the room with visions of questions dancing around in their heads.

"Buffy Summers, you are a friend of Hagrid's," said the centaur, once they were alone. "Give him a warning from me. His attempt is not working. He would do better to abandon it."

"His attempt?" Buffy repeated blankly.

"Yes. The giant he has taken under his care."

Oh, see that made sense. It was clear, concise and should've been said in the first place. Why did centaurs have to be so cryptic?