2 | CONFESSIONS° HARRY POTTER

21 | TRAITOR

ACT THREE, loss
CHAPTER TWENTY ONE, traitor

      Iris could hardly believe what she was hearing.

"Did you say . . ." Pansy had a look of complete disbelief on her face as she looked at Milicent Bulstrode. All of them had stopped what they were doing immediately when Milicent, who was usually quiet unless she was speaking with Pansy, said something that took them all by surprise. Draco looked at her with a disgusted expression while Tracey's jaw dropped. ". . . that you think the new Divination teacher is attractive?"

"Milicent . . ." Tracey shook her head disapprovingly as Milicent turned red under everyone's gaze. Milicent shrunk into her seat as they all stared at her.

"H-he's a horse. . ." Draco whispered.

"He's a centaur." Miliicent corrected. Pansy blanched.

"I can't even look at you." Pansy mumbled. Iris turned away from Milicent with wide eyes and hesitantly ate her food as Milicent tried to argue that what she said wasn't weird. When breakfast ended, Pansy and Iris made their way to classroom eleven where Divination lessons would be held from now on.

Classroom eleven was situated in the ground-floor corridor leading off the entrance hall on the opposite side to the Great Hall. Iris knew it to be one of those classrooms that were never used regularly, and that it therefore had the slightly neglected feeling of a cupboard or storeroom, so imagine her surprise when they stepped into a forest clearing.

"What the — ?" 

The classroom floor had become springily mossy and trees were growing out of it; their leafy branches fanned across the ceiling and windows, so that the room was full of slanting shafts of soft, dappled, green light. The students who had already arrived were sitting on the earthy floor with their backs resting against tree trunks or boulders, arms wrapped around their knees or folded tightly across their chests, looking rather nervous. In the middle of the room, where there were no trees, stood Firenze.

Iris and Pansy took a seat by one of the tree trunks. She had to admit that she did like the change of scenery compared to Trelawney's classroom.

When the door was closed and the last student had sat down upon a tree stump beside the waste paper basket, Firenze gestured around the room. 

"Professor Dumbledore has kindly arranged this classroom for us,"said Firenze, when everyone had settled down, "in imitation of my natural habitat. I would have preferred to teach you in the Forbidden Forest, which was — until Monday — my home . . . but this is not possible."

 "Please — er — sir —" said Parvati breathlessly, raising her hand, "why not? We've been in there with Hagrid, we're not frightened!"

 "It is not a question of your bravery," said Firenze, "but of my position. I can no longer return to the forest. My herd has banished me."

 "Herd?" said Lavender in a confused voice, and Harry knew she was thinking of cows. "What — oh!" Comprehension dawned on her face. "There are more of you?" she said, stunned.

 "Did Hagrid breed you, like the thestrals?" asked Dean eagerly. 

Firenze turned his head very slowly to face Dean, who seemed to realize at once that he had said something very offensive. 

"I didn't — I meant — sorry," he finished in a hushed voice. 

"Centaurs are not the servants or playthings of humans," said Firenze quietly. There was a pause, then Parvati raised her hand again.