Damaged (A Marauders Era story)

First Year, Part 11 (The Secret Passageway)

We approached the edge of the forest, and I could see the lights of Hogwarts Castle glowing in the distance. I didn't know what time it was. The sky had darkened everything except for the bright, sparkling snow.

Sharem stopped without a word, lowering himself so we could get down.

I stepped down and winced at the sudden pain, stiffness, and cold that rushed to my legs. All of my limbs felt frozen; I was hungry, tired and sore all over from squeezing Sharem's horse body so tightly with my body as he had run through the dark forest at a surprisingly fast pace. I couldn't wait to get back into Hogwarts' warm halls.

I had never ridden a horse before, but if it was anything like what I had just experienced, I never wanted to.

"Finally," Aileen said as she jumped down. She promptly began walking towards Hogwarts. "Let's go, Alexa. Hopefully, it's not past curfew, and we can get something to eat. I'm starving."

I began to follow, but then looked back at Sharem, who was standing still, unsure of what to do next.

"Do you have a place to go, Sharem?" I asked, my words barely understandable on my lips that had numbed in the cold air. I didn't understand how Sharem could stand to be shirtless in this weather, but he didn't even look cold.

Sharem looked troubled at my words.

"I don't know what to do," he said, sounding a bit helpless. "I need to get to my father; to tell him about my Uncle. But I know Uncle Cargem will stick by his side, expecting me to go to Father first thing now that I've escaped."

"Why does your Uncle want you so badly?" Aileen asked suspiciously. She had stopped walking towards Hogwarts when she saw I wasn't following her and now stood with her arms crossed giving Sharem a suspicious look. "What did you do?"

"I did nothing," Sharem said indignantly. "He needs me to perform a Centuarn Ritual. He-"

"Wait," Aileen interrupted him, her teeth chattering from the cold. I noticed that her complexion was even paler than usual and her lips were blue. "What is a Centuarn Ritual?"

Sharem began to answer but was interrupted again.

"We can't stand here and discuss this all night," I said. "If it's not already past curfew, it's going to be soon. We need to get back to the castle, Aileen."

"What about him?" Aileen asked, looking over at Sharem. "Where is he going to go?"

I looked at Sharem, who looked tired and worn out. I felt a pang of sympathy towards the boy centaur. He was only a child, and my natural reaction was to do everything I could to help him, to make the troubled look on his face go away.

"Can you come to the castle with us?" I asked him. "You can't possibly linger in the Forest with your Uncle looking for you. Not to mention all the other things wandering in here."

Sharem didn't answer right away, looking uncertainly at Hogwarts.

Aileen also looked confused.

"How are we supposed to sneak him into Hogwarts?" Aileen asked. "If you haven't noticed, half his body is that of a black horse, and a rather large one at that, despite the fact that the rest of him looks like a nine-year-old. He would be difficult to miss walking down the halls of Hogwarts."

"Eleven!" Sharem exclaimed, making both me and Aileen jump in surprise.

"What?" I asked in confusion, glancing at Aileen who looked equally confused.

"I'm eleven," Sharem stated, rather sheepishly. "Not nine."

"Right," Aileen said, giving sharem a look that told him she didn't believe him. "Whatever you say. Nine, eleven, the point still stands; How are we supposed to get you into the castle?"