The Golden Wand [Harry Potter/Percy Jackson]

Chapter 32: Act Quickly

Harry POV: 

I was standing in the Forbidden Forest, eyes fixed on the clearing before me. In it whinnied a centaur, lying on it's side and breathing heavily, blood pouring out of its many wounds. Next to it lay a goat, lifeless and soaked red with it's own blood. Draped over the two sat a snake, happily biting at the Centaur who had lost too much energy to fight back. 

"Help... me..." Begged the centaur. I raised my wand quickly. 

"Incendio!" I cried with a flick of my wand. The predator burnt up into dust. 

I ran forwards to help the Centaur, praying it was still alive. 

----

We made our way through the dark corridors, barely making a sound. Hermione and I were experts at this now. I remembered a day when we would first use the invisibility cloak together - constantly standing on each other's toes, constantly getting lost, constantly bumping into statues and paintings and making noise - we had been awful at sneaking around then. Now we moved as a unit, we were invisible even to the ghosts who prickled their ears at the slightest sound. We made our way around the corridors as if we had lived within these walls for a thousand years. 

"This is very unlike you, Hermione," I grinned. "You do realize if we get caught we could be expelled?"

"You've clearly been a bad influence on me, Harry," she smiled. "Time?"

"12:46am," I said, looking at my watch. "Quickly."

----

The centaur was breathing, but only just. Its throat was exposed and pulsing with dark blood, it's fur was matted with the same liquid. It was on the brink of death. 

"B-be... careful..." it rasped, staring at its fur. The voice was soft and feminine. I knew what it meant - if I touched the blood, I would die; centaur blood was extremely poisonous. 

"Accio blood-replenishing potion!" I yelled, pointing my wand towards what I knew must be the general direction of the school. I cursed silently to myself, knowing that just yesterday Slughorn had been complaining about how he had run out of Murtlap Potion and was currently in the process of making some more. The potion would take a few more days to concoct - if I summoned it now it was be fatal to use. I would have to go without it. 

I looked around the clearing frantically, hands rummaging through the foliage on the ground to find what I was looking for. I winced, drawing back my left hand in pain as it brushed against a purple and yellow herb that resembled a shriveled mushroom. Idiot, I thought. Of course, Bubotubers grew everywhere in the Forbidden Forest and - when oozing like this one - could harm the skin. My hand began to burn and swell. But still I continued my search. Finally, I came across a growth of Dittany and started pulling it out by its roots. My hands were shaking slightly. 

"I can help!" I told the centaur, trying to sound reassuring. I didn't even sound reassuring to myself. 

----

"Alohamora," Hermione whispered. She waved her hand in front of the lock and I heard that all-too familiar click. I raised my eyebrows at her in surprise. 

"No wand, huh?" I smiled. "Someone's been practicing."

"Only simple spells," she said modestly. 

I reached through my cloak and pushed against the mahogany door. It slid open with a hiss. Neither of us wanted to be the first to enter.

"We could try summoning it instead?" Hermione suggested.