Supported & Torn (HP) {Book 3 of the Wild & Free Series}

28. The Centaurs and the Giant

I had no idea what Lucy was planning, or evenwhether she had a plan. I walked half a pace behind her aswe headed down the corridor outside Umbridge's office, knowing itwould look very suspicious if Harry and I appeared not to know where we were going. Harry and I did not dare attempt to talk to Lucy; Umbridge waswalking so closely behind us that I could hear her raggedbreathing.

Lucy led the way down the stairs into the entrance hall. Thedin of loud voices and the clatter of cutlery on plates echoed from outof the double doors to the Great Hall. It seemed incredible to me that twenty feet away were people who were enjoying dinner, celebratingthe end of exams, not a care in the world...

Lucy walked straight out of the oak front doors and down thestone steps into the balmy evening air. The sun was falling toward thetops of the trees in the Forbidden Forest now as Lucy marchedpurposefully across the grass, Umbridge jogging to keep up. Our long dark shadows rippled over the grass behind us like cloaks.

"It's hidden in Hagrid's hut, is it?" said Umbridge eagerly in my ear.

"Of course not," said Lucy scathingly. "Hagrid might have setit off accidentally."

"Yes," said Umbridge, whose excitement seemed to be mounting."Yes, he would have done, of course, the great half-breed oaf..."She laughed. I felt a strong urge to swing around and seize herby the throat, but resisted. My scar was throbbing in the soft eveningair but it had not yet burned white-hot, as I knew it would if Voldemorthad moved in for the kill...

"Then... where is it?" asked Umbridge, with a hint of uncertaintyin her voice as Lucy continued to stride toward the forest.

"In there, of course," said Lucy, pointing into the dark trees."It had to be somewhere that students weren't going to find it accidentally,didn't it?"

"Of course," said Umbridge, though she sounded a little apprehensivenow. "Of course... very well, then... you three stay ahead ofme."

"Can we have your wand, then, if we're going first?" Harry askedher.

"No, I don't think so, Mr. Potter," said Umbridge sweetly, pokinghim in the back with it. "The Ministry places a rather higher value onmy life than yours, I'm afraid."

As we reached the cool shade of the first trees, I tried to catchLucy's eye; walking into the forest without wands seemed to me to be more foolhardy than anything we had done so far this evening.She, however, merely gave Umbridge a contemptuous glance andplunged straight into the trees, moving at such a pace that Umbridge,with her shorter legs, had difficulty in keeping up.

"Is it very far in?" Umbridge asked, as her robe ripped on a bramble.

"Oh yes," said Lucy. "Yes, it's well hidden."

"Er — are you sure this is the right way?" Harry asked her pointedly and I looked at him strangely. Did he know something Lucy and I didn't?

"Oh yes," she said in a steely voice, crashing through the undergrowthwith what I thought was a wholly unnecessary amount ofnoise. Behind us, Umbridge tripped over a fallen sapling. Neitherof us paused to help her up again; Lucy merely strode on,calling loudly over her shoulder, "It's a bit further in!"

"Lucy, keep your voice down," I muttered, hurrying tocatch up with her. "Anything could be listening in here —"

"I want us heard," she answered quietly, as Umbridge jogged noisilyafter us. "You'll see..."

We walked on for what seemed a long time, until we were onceagain so deep into the forest that the dense tree canopy blocked out alllight. I had the feeling I had had before in the forest, one of beingwatched by unseen eyes...