The Hidden One

last meeting

"Bet you wish you didn't give up Divination now, don't you, Hermione?" Parvati asked with a smirk.

It was a few days after the public sacking of Professor Trelawney and hiring of Firenze. They had their first Divination lesson that day, and many of the girls were freaking out. Parvati was even using her wand to curl her eyelashes.

"Not really," Hermione said as she read the Daily Prophet. "I've never really liked horses."

Rose let out a snort and continued eating her chocolate chip muffin.

"He's not a horse, he's a centaur," Lavender corrected.

"A gorgeous centuar," Parvati sighed.

"If you had a baby with a centaur there would be a 25% chance that your child is a horse...maybe, I can barely do math," Rose said. Lavender and Parvati shared a disgusted look at the thought.

"Yes, the centaur still has four legs," Hermione said. "Aren't you upset about Trelawney?"

"Of course! We went up to her office to see her and took her some flowers," Lavender informed them.

"How is she?" Ron asked.

"Not very good," Lavender said sadly. "She was crying and saying that she'd rather leave the castle than stay if Umbridge was here. I don't blame her."

"She's gonna want revenge on Dumbledore for appointing a teacher without her permission," Rose sighed.

"Especially another part human," Hermione agreed.

Breakfast was over not long after and Hermione went to Arithmancy as everyone else went to Divination.

"Aren't we going to the North Tower?" Ron asked as Parvati bypassed the staircase.

"How is he supposed to get up all those steps, Ron?" Parvati asked as she glared at Ron. "We're in classroom eleven now, it was on the notice board."

"Oh!" Rose gasped when they entered the classroom. It had been transformed and looked like the forest. There were no desks, so the students were sitting on the mossy floor and leaning their backs against trees. Firenze stood in the middle of the room where there was a clearing.

"Harry Potter," Firenze said when Harry entered.

"Er-hi," Harry said awkwardly, shaking the new Professors hand. "Good to see you..."

"And you," Firenze said. "It was foretold that we'd meet again."

Rose stepped forward a little and Firenze looked at her. Rose was able to see that he had a bruise that looked like a hoof mark on his chest.

"Briar Rose Black. It is a honor or be in your presence," Firenze said.

"Oh...thanks?" Rose said, not sure exactly why it was a honor. Firenze just nodded and allowed Harry and Rose to sit. The whole class stared at them in shock.

"Welcome," Firenze said when the last student had entered the room. "Professor Dumbledore has kindly arranged this classroom for us in imitation of my natural habitat. I would prefer to teach you in the Forbidden Forest, which was-until Monday- my home, but this is not possible."

"Why not?" Parvati asked breathlessly. "We've been in there loads of times with Professor Hagrid. We're not scared."

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

"Herd?" Lavender asked with a confused look on her face. The look quickly turned into understanding. "There are more of you?"

"Did Hagrid breed you, like the Thesterals?" Dean asked. Firenze turned slowly to look at Dean, who immediately recognized his mistake. "I didn't- I meant- sorry."