Do or Die (HP FF)

Half Man

A.N: I'm so so so so so sorry for not uploading. Recently, I've been working on a new book (Too Quick to Judge) and also another new one that I might post on here. I haven't forgotten about this story, I promise.

Gaulda woke up exactly where she fell asleep. She couldn't remember anything after running into the woods, but she knew it had something to do with Black, and that he was an Animagus. She had to inform Dumbledore straight away!

The goblinish girl dragged herself off of the ground and looked around. She then realised that she had no idea where in the forest she was. It looked a little familiar, but then again, all trees and landmarks in this forest looked the same. Gaulda sighed and guessed that she better start walking. 

Walking on her feet was difficult. She stumbled around and had to lean on trees for support. Whatever happened to her in that little stretch of time she couldn't remember really screwed her up and over. She tried leaning on a branch, but it snapped off and she fell unceremoniously onto the ground. 

But as she lay there on the ground, unwilling to get up, she heard a thunderous noise. It sounded like a million heartbeats at once, but amplified to a deafening sound. When she looked up, she saw a bow and arrow in her face. 

"Get up, human!" the centaur cried. "You have intruded on the centaur land, and now you must pay the price!"

Gaulda gave out a small groan. Not only was she lost, but now she had to deal with these guys?

"Please, sir!" she croaked. "I'm a teacher at the school. I'm Gaulda Mac, and I teach History of Magic. I'm sorry, I got lost. I didn't mean to intrude."

The wielder of the bow and arrow looked unconvinced, but a few of his centaur friends looked a little  uneasy. They all had heard about the girl who had become a teacher, and from Albus Dumbledore himself. They didn't want the old man kicking them out of the forest for bringing harm to her. 

"Fine." The centaur leader looked at his comrades. "We'll bring her back to camp and decide what to do with her."

Well, this was going to put whatever plans she had on hold. Dang it. 

The centaurs forced her to stand, then began walking. It wasn't a far walk, but not a particularly friendly one either. They travelled in an uncomfortable silence. 

When they arrived at the so called camp, Gaulda was surprised to find it not that very big. She knew that there were hundreds of centaurs taking up residence in the Black Forest, but she was confused to as why there were only five large tents. Surely, they couldn't hold that many centaurs. 

But as the group approached, all were surprised to find Albus Dumbledore standing in the middle. He was speaking pleasantly with the leader of the camp, presumably awaiting their arrival. 

"Ah! Hello, there Gaulda. I've just been catching up with Yaven while you were away. I knew that some of these centaurs would find you, so I made sure to come straight away."

"Yeah, thanks," Gaulda grumbled. A piercing ache came out of her side when she spoke. She stumbled toward the headmaster, and then he started to speak, "Come along, Miss Mac, the school has been waiting for you."

The long walk was treacherous, as they weren't walking on the trail. Though luckily, Gaulda always seemed to miss tripping on the various obstacles that littered the two's path. The trees swayed in a breeze that only they could feel. Otherwise, everything else in the forest was motionless besides the two professors. 

Dumbledore, the headmaster, had wanted to know what Gaulda had been doing out in the forest. The whole staff hadn't seen her since the previous day, and it was obvious that she had slept out here. Her hair was in disarray and her clothes rumpled and dirty with mud and leaves. The way she carried herself looked painful; she was doubled over and clutching her side. Dumbledore knew almost everything that went on in this school, but this was one thing he didn't. He wouldn't ask her now what happened, he decided. No, he would wait until she was better, and willing to talk.