A Lonely Child

The Anthem

Hermione started walking ahead of them so she wouldn't get pushed by Umbridge. The walk from her office to the grounds of Hogwarts didn't take long. Harry rushed up to her trying to make it look like he knew where they were going.

"What are you doing?" He asked when they got close to the forest.

"Just go with it." Hermione replied.

"Why are we headed into the forest?" Umbridge asked.

"To the weapon Dumbledore needed a place to hide it where a student would actually find it now could he." Hermione lied easily.

Harry looked confused at where Hermione was taking them. He does seem to noticed that they are on the path to Aragog and not Grawp. He also noticed that Hermione was being nosier than she probably should be.

"You're right that oaf would have set it off." Umbridge said.

Harry and Hermione both had to grit their teeth so they didn't say anything. The continued walking into the forest when Hermione finally stopped. They were in a small clearing of up rooted trees. The rope that had tethered Grawp to the area was shredded at the end.

They are almost into the clearing when several arrows arch through the air over them landing in a tree nearby. Then there is the sound of galloping horses all around them. Only it wasn't horses that surrounded them. It was about thirty or fifty different Centaurs each one with a different colored body.

"Who are you human?" their leader asked in a disgusted tone.

Harry and Hermione looked to their left. A centaur with a chestnut color started toward them out of the circle with his bow in hand it was raised like those still in the circle. Umbridge pointed at the centaur with an open mouth.

"I asked you who are you, human," the centaur asked roughly.

"I am Dolores Umbridge!" said Umbridge in high voice with a terrified tone to it but still went through her spiel about who she was and what she did like she was the queen of England.

"You are from the Ministry of Magic?" the centaur asked.

"That's right!" said Umbridge "and by our laws an attack by half-breeds such as you on a human would result in imprisonment."

The centaurs were angered at being called half breeds moved in a little closer. An arrow flew so close to Hermione's head as the Centaurs shot their arrows again. Umbridge had an arrow caught in her hair as she let an ear splitting scream. The centaurs laughed at the screaming woman. Umbridge kept on calling them filthy half breeds while cowering away from the centaurs. A dark bodied centaur gets so mad that he carries Umbridge off into the forest and just as they are about to carry Hermione and Harry off too Grawp comes running through the trees.

"Hagger." He says to Hermione.

The centaurs shoot arrows at the new threat. Grawp howls in pain swinging his hands wildly at the centaurs allowing Harry and Hermione to get away.

They run as fast as they can through the Forbidden Forest and to safety. The breathe a sigh of relief when the reach Hagrid's hut.

"What are we going to do now?" Harry asked Hermione.

"I don't know." Hermione replied.

"We have to get to London we have to save Sirius." Harry declared.

"He's my father Harry of course I want to save him I just don't know how we are going to get there." Hermione replied back.

"Me too." Ron said from behind them on the steps to the castle. Hermione hadn't even realized that they had even.

Harry and Hermione run the rest of the way to them.

"How did you guys escape?" Harry asked.

"Ginny here gave Malfoy a bat bogie hex when she realized she still had her wand and I have a puking pastille to Goyal." Cedric said. "Ron gave them to Malfoy's other cronies. We also got your wands." He added giving Harry and Hermione their wands.

"Okay fine but how are we getting to London?" Harry asked before Hermione could.

"Why we fly of course." Luna said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"No we are not doing anything if you are including yourself." Harry replied. "And Ron is the only one without a security troll guarding it.

"I have one." Ginny replied.

"You're not coming." said Ron angrily.

"I care about what happens to Sirius too." Ginny Snapped back. "I am three years older than you were when you went to get the Philosopher's Stone." She reasoned.

"Yeah, but -"

"We were in the D.A. together it was suppose to be about fighting You-know-who or was it all a game to you." Neville said quietly but strong all the same.

"It wasn't…" Harry started to say.

The argument stopped their even thought Harry didn't want them to come. They all said they were going to even if they had to wait until he was gone.

"What are we going to use?" asked Cedric.

"The Thestrals." Luna replied. Pointing to an area that Hermione saw nothing in it.

"Funny looking black things from care of magical creatures' class." Ron replied.

"yes." Harry replied.

"But there are only two." Hermione replied.

"There are more coming." Luna said pointing to more winged creatures walking toward them. "The blood you and Harry are covered in is calling to them. It is probably why the first two showed up." She added.

Hermione looked down at her shoulder when she felt a small tug on her shirt. It was one of the Thestrals liking her blood soaked shirt. She watched as another Thestrals does the same thing to Harry.

"Come on get on one." Harry replied walking to where he could get on to the Thestrals.

The group dispersed and went to climbed on to one of the Thestrals like Harry told them to.