Emily Potter: The Girl Who Lived-Book 1

Chapter 22

After breakfast we split apart and went to do whatever we wanted being solitary, then in between lunch and dinner we would keep looking for Nicholas Flamel. For my alone time I decided to go outside the castle and roam around in the forbidden forest. I stopped by Hagrid's hut first, to be polite and say hello.

"Hello, Hagrid!" I knocked on the giant wooden door. When there came no response, I knocked louder once again, thinking he may be outside. "Hagrid?" I began to get worried. "Hagrid, are you there?" The latch squeaked as someone opened it, and I began to get frightened. I held up my wand (no use in that, I can do magic without it, I thought).

The door finally opened enough to where I could peer inside; all I saw was the giant, poorly sewn together animal hide cloak that Hagrid wears. I sighed in relief, though he wasn't so relieved. I noticed that he was holding a crossbow in his hands, and a vicious look in his eye.

"Hagrid, calm down, it's me!" I eased in a reassuring voice.

"Who's there?" He exclaimed angrily.

Merlin, I hope they're not here.

Where did they go?

They've come to arrest me! I won't go to Azkaban! I did nothing wrong!

"HAGRID!!" I shouted. He finally looked down and a wave of appease washed over him.

"Well 'ello there, Emily! What can I do for yeh?" He exclaimed, obviously happy I wasn't someone from the Ministry.

"Hagrid, who were you expecting?" I asked.

"Oh, nobody's comin' ter see meh. I was jus' worried tha' it was someone I don' particularly...like." He replied.

"Alright...?" I said, my hair turning royal purple (confused).

"Do yeh wan' some tea? I'm puttin' a kettle on the fire righ' now." Hagrid offered.

"No thank you, I just wanted to say hi. I'm going to go and explore the grounds, maybe even venture into the forrest." I politely declined.

"The Forbidden Forrest? Tha's not safe for ye students!" Hagrid protested. "I better go with yeh." He tapped his chin, glad to have company for the day.

"You're welcome to join me. I was just going to explore."

"I think I will." Hagrid answered.

We began to wander aimlessly through the woods, Hagrid making random small talk and pointing out places in the forrest where he's seen, met, or released an uncommon creature.

Then, out of the blue, a wild group of centaurs approached us, bows and arrows out and ready to shoot at any moment.

"Firenze! Bane! How nice to see yeh!" Hagrid greeted, smiling. I, however, was shocked at their sudden appearence, my hair and eyes quickly shifted from their usual reddish brown turning to grey.

"Hagrid, who is this student you have brought forth into our wood?" A centaur in the back with long blonde hair inquiried. I would soon learn that his name is Acentry.

"My name is Emly, Emily Potter." I politely answered, changing my hair and eyes back to normal. "It's nice to meet you all! I've read so much about your kind, I'd love to chat sometime!" Get it together, Em, or your curiosity will get the best of you.

Bane, who I assume is the centaurs sort of leader, began to introduce everyone. There was Firenze, Farrah, Acentry, Caedus, and Bane himself, although I could swear there were more among the trees.

"If you wish, you may speak to any one of us at this time." Bane said to me.

"Who knows the most astronomy?" I asked Bane.

"I'll let them figure it out," Bane answered, pointing to the two centaurs in the back, Acentry and Caedus, who were already bickering as if they were brothers. He waved as Firenze, Farrah and himself galloped off to another sector of the forrest.

"I wouldn't mind talking to the both of you, if that's what you'd like." I offered sweetly.

"No, no, I always got more praise from our peers. It's obvious that it's me with the more intelligent mind." Caedus said, ego billowing.

"Acentry, is that alright with you?" I asked, looking to Acentry with a look of anger on his face. However, the angry look quickly subsided as he heard my voice.

Caedus guided me to a place in the woods that was relatively flat, where I summoned a couple of pillows to sit on.

"Alright Emily, what is it you want to know?" Caedus asked, obviously not liking his situation. I could sense he was afraid of something, something about to happen. I tried to remain calm but I could feel it too, something was about to happen, close to here, maybe even to Caedus or me.

It started to pass, and I felt the relief wash over Caedus' face when it retreated.

"Well, can we talk astronomy now?" I asked eagerly.

"I'm afraid it's a little late for tha', lass." Hagrid said, looking to the sky. The sun was almost in the topmost part of the sky, meaning it was nearly noon.

"Alright, some other time, then?" I asked, looking to Caedus.

"Some other time, Emily." Caedus replied, shaking my hand.

#######################

Okay literally I have had no time at all and I've had this chapter almost done for a really long time, I really appreciate you all staying with me through this. Thank you all so much, it means a lot to me. I promise I will start trying to have a weekly update day, probably Friday or Saturday? I'll start this week.