Chapter 121: Chapter 121: "First Day Clashes"
The new school year at Hogwarts kicked off with its usual lively atmosphere, but for Harry, it was just the start of another busy day. He woke up early and made his way to the Forbidden Forest for his routine morning jog and a bit of sword training.
The forest greeted him with its customary silence, unchanged and as tranquil as he had left it before the holidays, providing a brief period of peace before his day fully began. He planned to return later in the evening to check on a few more things in the forest.
After wrapping up his morning exercises and enjoying a quick breakfast, Harry's day continued with his regular class schedule.
Unfortunately, he was slightly disappointed to find out that there was no Defense Against the Dark Arts (DADA) class with Professor Quirrel today. He was particularly looking forward to this class to delve further into Voldemort's memories, which he had started exploring the night before.
Harry was keen to tackle the challenging task of navigating through Voldemort's fragmented and chaotic mind, hoping to uncover some valuable knowledge and information hidden within. Sadly, he would have to wait another day to resume this intriguing but daunting exploration.
The day flew by, filled with the usual rhythm of classes, lectures, and note-taking. However, the day was far from dull, especially with the buzz surrounding the school's new celebrity, Charles Potter.
Throughout the day, there was constant chatter about Charles and his amusing first-day mishaps. Stories circulated about how he and his friend Ron Weasley overslept, causing them to be late for their first class. Their tardiness meant there was no one in the corridors to guide them, resulting in them getting lost.
Eventually, the Gryffindor ghost had to lead them to their classroom. When they finally made their appearance in Professor McGonagall's class, their entrance was marked by a mix of antics that quickly became the talk of the school.
Fans of Charles defended him, while others found humor in the situation, sharing laughs throughout the corridors.
Harry found himself slightly embarrassed as his friends teased him about his brother's blunders. However, he quickly reminded himself that he and Charles were not close; they were practically strangers.
This detachment allowed Harry to brush off most of the gossip, although he couldn't help but be amused by some of the stories. He was particularly looking forward to seeing how Charles would handle his first Potions class, anticipating it would be an entertaining spectacle and likely the highlight of his week.
As the day turned into evening, Harry prepared for another trip to the Forbidden Forest. He was keen on assessing the current state of the forest.
Harry wondered if the centaurs had managed to keep the angry acromantula colony in check during his absence. It was crucial for him to find out if the centaurs had controlled the spiders or if he would need to step in to stop them from spreading their territory too close to the school grounds.
This year, Harry was particularly cautious about disturbing the forest creatures too much. He knew that Voldemort would soon be prowling the forest in search of unicorn blood. Facing Voldemort and an unchecked acromantula colony at the same time was not something Harry wanted to deal with. While he wasn't scared of the weakened Voldemort, he was wary of potential surprise attacks during his patrols for acromantulas.
Therefore, Harry decided that this year he would focus less on the acromantulas and more on protecting the noble unicorns from Voldemort's deadly pursuits.
As Harry left the castle for his evening venture into the Forbidden Forest, he unexpectedly bumped into his younger brother Charles, and his friend, Ron Weasley. The boys looked confused and frustrated, clearly lost in the sprawling corridors of Hogwarts.
When Charles saw Harry, his face twisted into a scowl of anger.
"You! How dare you show your face after what you did?" Charles accused him angrily.
Harry was not in the mood to get into a pointless argument. He had once hoped that he could have a good relationship with Charles, that his brother might understand why Harry felt so strongly about their parents.
But now, seeing Charles' reaction, Harry realized he might have expected too much from the young boy, who was still just an 11-year-old, possibly too young to understand anything. He might also have been fed lies. But Harry did not care about correcting his views.
Trying to avoid a confrontation, Harry attempted to walk past them. But Charles blocked his path, standing firm.
However, Charles stepped in his way, insisting, "You cannot go. I need you to apologize to Mom."
Ron, puzzled by the confrontation, asked Charles, "Who is this, Charley? He looks a bit like you."
Charles responded with a hint of bitterness in his voice, "He's my older brother. He didn't grow up with us; he lived with our aunt. He's not a good person."
Harry exhaled deeply, feeling the weight of the moment. "Look, I'm really busy. I don't have time for this."
Yet Charles was not ready to let it go. "You need to write a letter of apology to Mom. She's been really upset since you argued with her."
Ron chimed in, supporting his friend, "Yeah, apologize to Aunt Lily."
Harry replied firmly, "I don't owe an apology. She knows what she needs to do to make things right. I've told her how she can earn my forgiveness. Now, please, let me go."
But Charles stepped in front of him again, blocking his way. "You can't go until you apologize. Mom has been crying every day because of what you said."
Harry, maintaining his calm, explained, "It's not my problem if she can't handle the truth. Now, step aside, please."
Charles's face hardened as he issued a threat, "If you don't apologize, I'll tell Grandpa Dumbledore and the Minister. They'll punish you."
Harry dismissed the threat with a chuckle, "They can't do anything to me."
Charles really thought too much of himself. He was just a mascot in the wizarding world with no real power. The most influence he could wield was to cry to his young teenage fans who adored him. These fans might criticize Harry for reprimanding their beloved Charles, but that was the extent of his impact.
"Is it because you're the Potter heir? Dad said you stole it from me," Charles accused.
Harry corrected him firmly, "I didn't steal anything. Grandfather chose me as the heir. You really should get your facts straight."
Charles's frustration grew as he spat out more accusations, "You're lying. You hate me because you had to live with our aunt in the muggle world and you hated it there. Why are you so upset about that? I think you had an easy life. Do you have any idea how hard my life has been in the wizarding world? I couldn't even go outside without being swarmed by fans, making it hard for me to even enjoy a day out. I had to be on guard against dark wizard attacks. And the fan mail—I had to learn to write properly at a young age because Mum insisted I respond to every letter. On top of that, I had to train in magic every day with Grandpa Dumbledore, preparing for the day You-Know-Who returns, to protect everyone."
Ron chimed in, "Yeah, those letters were exhausting, and the training and books were tough. I could not train but I watched Charles struggle."
Harry couldn't help but laugh at Charles's complaints. "You think that's a tough life? You have no idea what hard really is. If we had switched places, you wouldn't be here today. You better learn the whole truth from your parents before you try to confront me again. I don't have time to waste here."
Harry found the situation somewhat amusing, considering what Charles thought of as difficult. He had to remind himself of the boy's young age, but it still struck him as funny. He also noticed how Charles referred to Voldemort as "You-know-who," which suggested fear, indicating that Dumbledore's training might not be adequate.
Harry noted the way Charles called Dumbledore "Grandpa Dumbledore," which seemed to hint that Dumbledore was grooming him to be his successor. It looked like the lack of a Horcrux in Charles's scar had brought about some changes. The Boy Who Lived wasn't being raised as a sacrificial pawn like in the canon.
As Harry turned to walk away, Charles issued a warning, "You're forcing me to attack you. I've been training for this."
Both Charles and Ron then pulled out their wands, trying to stop Harry. With a casual flick of his wand, Harry quickly disarmed them, sending their wands flying across the corridor.
The boys hurried to pick up their wands, but by the time they managed to grab them and look up, Harry was already gone.
Fuming, Ron turned to Charles, "How can he just ignore you like that, Charley? He used magic against us right here in the corridor. We should go tell Professor Dumbledore about this. He'll definitely be punished for what he did."
Charles nodded in agreement, "Absolutely, let's go straight to Grandpa Dumbledore's office."
But then, Charles looked unsure, "Umm, Ron… do you actually know how to get to Grandpa's office?"
Ron thought for a moment then suggested, "Let's just walk around the castle. We can ask someone on the way."
With that plan, the two boys started off, leaving Harry to continue his walk towards the Forbidden Forest. Harry's mind was already leaving behind the brief confrontation with his brother and friend, focusing instead on the more pressing concerns waiting for him in the shadows of the towering trees.
Chapter 122: Chapter 122: "Forest Alliances"
After his encounter with his younger brother Charles, Harry was relieved to leave the castle's commotion behind and enter the serene, shadowy embrace of the Forbidden Forest.
The antics of his brother didn't bother him too much.
Charles was just behaving like the young kid he was, but that didn't mean Harry was ready to deal with him on any level. Rather than engage in pointless arguments, Harry chose to simply ignore him. He decided he'd only pay attention to Charles once he was mature enough to hold a meaningful conversation.
Once inside the forest, Harry quickly donned what he specially labeled his "Gryffindor disguise." With his disguise in place, he moved stealthily towards the area known to be inhabited by the acromantula colony.
However only a few minutes into his walk, his path was unexpectedly blocked—not by spiders, but by a group of centaurs. Some faces were familiar, like Bane and Dorran, while others were new to him.
Harry couldn't help but joke when he encountered the centaurs waiting for him. "All this to welcome me back? You shouldn't have. I didn't think you'd miss me that much," he said with a light laugh.
He was genuinely surprised by their presence; the previous year, the centaurs had largely ignored him and his presence in the forest.
"Don't think too highly of yourself, human. We're here on urgent business, not for pleasantries," Bane retorted sharply, his tone as prickly as ever.
Harry remained calm and responded with a smile, "Understood, but I'm honored by this reception. Maybe this can start a new chapter in our relationship."
Dorran, the leader of the group, tried to smooth things over. "Bane, can you control your temper? This human is not our enemy."
"Please, call me Arthur. I prefer it to 'human,'" Harry requested, hoping to really build closer relations with the centaurs.
He chose the name 'Arthur' because it resonated with the nobility and bravery of the legendary King Arthur, a figure of great importance in the wizarding world. Harry had tried to learn more about the real King Arthur and Merlin but found only myths and legends, no concrete historical texts that could tell him about the true events of that era.
Dorran stepped forward. "I'm Dorran, the leader of this tribe. We've come to seek your help, Knight Arthur, in protecting the forest and its creatures. Firenze here will explain more about our situation."
Harry shifted his attention to Firenze, the centaur who would eventually become a professor of Divination at Hogwarts.
Firenze greeted him with a formal tone, "Good evening, Knight. We are in need of your assistance to safeguard this forest. The stars have revealed to me that a grave danger looms over us this year. A dangerous wizard plans to hunt the unicorn herd living in our forest, and we centaurs lack the strength to protect them adequately from such a powerful foe."
Harry, feigning ignorance, responded, "A dangerous wizard? Who might that be? Have you considered taking this issue to Dumbledore? And is this wizard hunting unicorns for their blood?"
Though Harry knew the answers, he enjoyed playing the part of the uninformed, partly to lighten the mood and partly to practice his acting. Anticipating future situations where he might need to disguise his true knowledge, he saw these interactions as perfect opportunities to refine his skills.
Dorran's voice carried a hint of urgency as he spoke, "The stars have revealed that a dark presence is returning, intent on using the blood of unicorns to achieve cursed immortality. We've informed Dumbledore, but he's preoccupied with safeguarding the students from this same threat. Unfortunately, he can't extend his protection to the forest."
Harry raised an eyebrow, "So, Voldemort is making a comeback, huh? But would he really risk using unicorn blood, knowing the curse that comes with it? Unless, of course, he has a plan to counteract that curse."
Firenze nodded gravely, "Indeed, he is returning. Drinking unicorn blood is a desperate act, done only to sustain life long enough to find a more permanent solution — a solution that restores full strength and grants eternal life."
Harry mused aloud, "So Dumbledore has the Philosopher's Stone hidden at Hogwarts, huh? I'm surprised the Flamels agreed to lend him such a powerful object."
Firenze looked at Harry with a mixture of respect and curiosity, "Your understanding is keen, human. The stars were correct in their prophecy. You possess the insight and ability needed to assist us in our plight."
Harry expressed his concerns, "I genuinely want to help protect the unicorns, but you must understand my limitations. I have classes and other responsibilities. It's not feasible for me to patrol the forest constantly."
Dorran nodded, understanding Harry's predicament. "Knight Arthur, we appreciate your honesty. Fortunately, we don't need your assistance in patrolling the forest. The centaurs are prepared to handle that task. We'll confront the wizard and do our utmost to safeguard the unicorns. However, we could use your expertise in a different area."
Firenze elaborated on their request, "According to the celestial signs, you possess notable healing abilities, and that's where we need your help. While we centaurs will combat the dark forces, we can't guarantee that there won't be casualties. When injured unicorns are found, your skills in healing will be invaluable. The threat we face is focused on their blood, not direct conflict, so your role would not involve fighting."
Harry felt relieved and capable in this role. "If it's a matter of healing the wounded, then yes, I'm able to assist. Healing is something I can manage alongside my other commitments."
Over the holidays, Harry had advanced significantly in his healing techniques, thanks largely to his time spent with Cordelia and Emma, who had provided him with practical experience and guidance.
Harry was taken aback by the centaurs' remarkable skills in divination. They seemed to know not just future events but also details about Harry's personal abilities, like his skill in healing magic—a fact not widely known among others. It appeared the centaurs might even be aware of his true identity but chose to play along, possibly to maintain his goodwill.
Their ability to foresee the future and understand deep secrets was impressive, especially compared to Professor Trelawney's sporadic and often vague prophecies. Harry found himself seriously considering the idea of helping Firenze join Hogwarts as a divination teacher. Such a move could greatly benefit the students, but he was aware of the delicate relationship between humans and centaurs. Any effort to integrate Firenze into the school would have to be handled with sensitivity to avoid stirring historical tensions.
With these thoughts in mind, Harry reached into his pocket and pulled out a specially crafted coin. "Press the center of this coin when you need my help," he explained to Dorran, handing him the coin. "If I'm free, I'll come as quickly as I can."
This coin, designed similarly to the ones canon Hermione had created for the Dumbledore's Army, allowed for discreet communication. Harry had originally made one for Susan to ensure he could be alerted if she ever found herself in danger. The coin he gave to Dorran was an extra, meant for emergency use.
Dorran caught the coin and examined it briefly. "Thank you for helping the forest, Knight Arthur," he said with a nod of appreciation.
Before departing, Harry asked "Before I leave, I wanted to check on the acromantula colony. Have they been causing any more trouble lately?"
Dorran responded with a reassuring tone, "Your efforts last year significantly weakened them. They're still recovering from those setbacks. Additionally, they seem to sense the tension in the air and have been unusually quiet this year. You shouldn't have any problems with them for now."
"That's excellent to hear!" Harry exclaimed. "I certainly didn't want to juggle both these problems at once. That's all I needed to know for today. I have other matters to attend to, but don't hesitate to use the coin if you need my help."
Dorran nodded in agreement, "Yes, Knight Arthur. On behalf of all the unicorns, we're truly grateful for your willingness to assist us."
"It's no trouble at all. This wizard threatens us all, and disrupting his plans is a priority for me," Harry assured him. "Farewell, everyone. And Bane," Harry added with a light tone, trying to ease the tension, "try to relax a little, will you?"
Bane bristled slightly at the comment. "Who are you to tell me what to do, human? Don't assume that because you're helping, I'll start treating you kindly."
Harry, with a half-smile, replied, "I wouldn't dream of it, Bane. Good night."
With his visit to the Forbidden Forest concluded Harry turned his steps back toward Hogwarts Castle. There were pressing tasks waiting for him, especially with the new responsibility he had just accepted.
Although Harry was good at healing magic for wizards, he recognized that healing unicorns would be a different challenge altogether.
Unicorns were magical creatures with unique needs, and he wasn't fully prepared for that. Determined to acquire the necessary knowledge, Harry planned to visit the Room of Requirement next. He needed to find books and scrolls about magical creature healthcare, particularly those focused on unicorns.
As he walked back, Harry reflected on the positive outcomes of his forest encounter. Helping the unicorns and potentially strengthening his ties with the centaurs felt rewarding. It was an unexpected benefit of Voldemort's return. In a way, he was grateful for the opportunity Voldemort had unwittingly provided, giving him a chance to build good relations with another magical community.
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